


Paint The Town Red

by CasualGeek



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne Tries, Bruce Wayne is tired, Bruce Wayne needs to give more hugs, Damian Wayne is Nightwing, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, I'm trying to fix something over here, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason and Tim deserve better, Like-Pocket sized, No beta we die like Bruce's marriage attempts, Pesky canon keeps getting in the way, Reverse Robins, Smol Jason Todd, Tim Drake Deserves Better, Tim Drake is Red Hood, We rip canon apart and use only what's needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 48,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasualGeek/pseuds/CasualGeek
Summary: Tim realized Gotham didn't need a Robin somewhere between the electrocution and the water boarding.It needed something that would be able to compete with all the worst crazies, and still come out on top. Someone even more insane than Joker and less morally bound than Batman. A protector willing to get as ugly as Gotham herself was ugly.Too bad Bruce didn't agree.Or Damian.Or Steph, or Cass, or any of his old so-called friends.He'd show them then.They could ban him from the masks and capes but he'd prove exactly why Gotham needed a Red Hood.He just has to figure out how to help this street kid out first.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Everyone, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Everyone, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne
Comments: 144
Kudos: 482





	1. You weren't supposed to be there

The Wayne last name is something Tim likes to use about as much as he likes chewing glass shards and washing them down with sewer mud. Very little, and done only when no other option is convenient. Unfortunately, people react so much quicker if Tim Wayne calls in. As Damian likes to say, the Drakes haven’t been important in this wretched city for a long while.

As predicted the police dispatch lady was very animated, and promised that a patrol car would be at his location quickly. He huffed out a laugh and watched the little mist cloud swirl and fade. They wouldn’t be there soon enough to catch him. The thief at his feet was bleeding from two very pesky bullet wounds, and would need all their attention. Tim smiled down at him one more time.

“Gosh, GPD is really helpful these days! But I do think I gave the dispatch lady the wrong address. What are we going to do now mister? I could call back…but it’s not that far! Don’t want to make her night any longer now, do we?”

With that Tim’s arms shoot out and grab the bleeding man under his arms, lifting him up with a strength no one would expect of a scrawny teen. The man’s not that impressed, what with his wounds screaming at him and all. Tim doesn’t seem to mind, humming circus music along the way. He drags him a full two blocks before dropping him like a bag of rocks.

“Well sir, it seems your ride will be here shortly. I do hope you have some cash on you, I’m afraid I left my cab fare money in my other suit jacket. Really, it was a stupid thing to do you know, shooting yourself like that. Could have hurt yourself!” Tim’s smile was all teeth, red lipstick stuck to the edges of his lips.

“I don’t think insurance covers stupidity, you know? Because that’s exactly what happened here tonight, isn’t it Edwin?”

The thug flinched. He didn’t say anything as Tim’s face stared at him from a few inches away, close enough to see his eyelashes. The longer he stayed silent the larger Tim’s smile grew. Edwin nodded. Tim pats his shoulder.

“Lovely. And hey, maybe now those silly little scars and long lasting pain will remind you not to try and rob single mothers and the sick and dying! Really Edwin, it’s a net positive if you ask me.”

Satisfied, he turns towards the fire escapes and leaves the cops with a case solved and delivered.

Just like the good old days.

Maybe a bit more blood and a little less bat paraphernalia, but really, no need to nitpick.

He sits down on the edge of the building above the alley and listens in as Edwin’s cries of pain are soon joined by a siren and his stuttering confessions of accidental self-harm. Things wrap up quick. He even calls the dispatch lady and tells her kindly how the man ran away from him and he lost him in the dark night. After all, who’s going to question it, he’s Bruce Wayne’s "perfect" son after all.

And Batman is on the other side of the city. Something about an Arkham breakout.

Tim fishes out a compact mirror from his pocket, noting he got some of Edwin’s blood on his favorite suit. Lucky that red hides blood so well. His makeup wasn’t so lucky on the other hand, his lipstick was more gone than not, his white foundation left in splotches around his eyes and cheekbones, the green hairspray clung to the tips of his hair but gone from the roots. He still looked nothing like his billboard self, but it was the principal of the thing.

“I am an absolute insult to mimes everywhere.”

Soft footsteps bring Tim’s eyes back to the alley. Had one of the cops come back? Maybe someone thought Tim would follow the blood trail or something? No, that’s a bit too logical for the GPD. A small shadow sticks its head out of the alley, a red hood covering its face. The little thing is shaking, and Tim realizes it might not be from the cold.

It didn’t add up. Tim plans ahead. Tim checks everything. There was no one in that alley when Tim passed it twenty minutes ago, and nowhere anyone could really hide. There was nothing out of order when he looked at it while graciously putting Edwin down. His motion camera above the alley didn’t alert him to anything. It was a half abandoned street in Park Row, famous for gang shoot outs. Logically there shouldn’t have been a witness.

And yet.

Tim watches as the kid runs out of the alley and bolts like a speedster on a sugar rush. Tim’s got a lot of experience with those so he tracks him down to a different crumbling alley, this one even darker than the last, tucked next to an Indian restaurant and a decrepit apartment building that has more bullet holes in it than windows. The kid walks to the cardboard boxes stacked next to the restaurant and deposits his backpack there. The hood comes off and Tim sees his witness is a little boy of maybe eight with a head of dark curls and skin grey from the cold. His clothes are torn and ragged, dirty with mud and oil. He’s terrified, shaking hands trying to pack what little he stashed in the boxes into the backpack as quick as possible. Running away.

Tim decided it was time to put a name to the face so he softly descended from his spot on the building above. The kid still heard him though. He froze, blue eyes glued to Tim, wide and horrified.

“Hello.”

The kid didn’t move.

“I’m afraid you might have seen something that caused a misunderstanding back there. “

The kid straigtened his back.

“I did…didn’t see nothin’. Jus’ two drunk guys having too much fun is al’”

Tim hummed noncommittally.

“See, that’s not what you saw! What you saw was one wounded guy, maybe a drunk, wandering along all on his lonesome! There was no one else there to help the poor guy. Isn’t that right?”

At this the kid narrowed his gaze at Tim, and maybe if he wasn’t a shivering mess it would have looked a bit cute.

“Don’ see how someone with two bullet wounds could just walk around by ‘imself “

Tim grinned. Someone was a spunky little urchin.

“Christmas miracle?

“It ain’t Christmas.”

“Hanukha surprise?”

“It’s January!”

“Late New Year’s miracle then!”

“You shoulda asked Santa to get smarter. Your plan sucks.”

At this Tim just looked at the kid funny. He said it as he scrunched his nose and the little freckles on his face went along with it, the upper twist of his eyebrows telling Tim the boy was very much not impressed with his ideas. It was a picture that went beautifully with the phrase “I’m surrounded by idiots”, and not in the condescending way like it did with Damian.

Tim laughed. It wasn’t loud like Connor’s laugh, or unending like Stephanie’s tear filled gaffs but warm all the same. It was meant to only be heard by those closest.

“Yeah, probably. Santa said he was all out of smarts this year though, something about a shortage over in Metropolis.”

The kid shifted from foot to foot.

“Yeah, sounds nice. T’ink I’ll try getting’ there then, see you never mister.”

But the kid didn’t make it a foot away before Tim caught his hood.

“Not quite so fast kid. Can’t let you leave quite yet”

And the kid took that as a sign to twist around and pull a tire iron out of his bag, straight into Tim’s stomach. The kid is barley tall enough to reach a counter and could be blown away by a strong wind but he had a hell of a swing. By the time Tim straightened out the kid was at the mouth of the alley. And well, Tim did feel a bit bad when the kid hit the ground roughly, Tim's batarang wires tying his legs together, but this really needed to be solved. He lifted the kid by his arms.

“Look kid I really-“

“Let go of me you creep!”

“Yeah, sorry but no.”

The kid just thrashed harder.

“I don’t hurt kids you know, only criminals”

“Then le’me go!”

“Not until we get this straight.”

“Get wha’ straight! No one will say anythin’ I promise!” The kid looked Tim in the eyes , and fear shined through the annoyance.

“We all know who you are” he whispered. “ No one says nothin’ cause you…you’re more terrifyin’ than any of tha’ others. But ya also don’ hurt no one but the bad guys, so…I won’ tell. Promise. Just please lemme go”

The kid stopped thrashing and Tim could see he was trying not to cry, his breaths quick and eyes shiny.

“What’s your name?”

“Please don’t.” His breath hitched and the words tumbled out. ”I don’t want to disappear because I fell asleep in some stupid side alley and woke up at the wrong time. Please.”

And well, Tim wasn’t Robin anymore. No one was, and if he had any say in it no one would be. But Robin’s job was to comfort the kids, and some habits die hard.

“I won’t hurt you kid, promise. Just want to make sure my stupid plan doesn’t hurt anyone yeah?”

With that he led the kid back to the box and put him down. He realized the kid actually slept there. There was a musty blanket and the cardboard was placed on the floor and against the wall. Far away it looked just like any old box but like this it was a little nook.

“You sleep here? Isn’t it too cold?”

The kid sniffed. “It’s better than nothin’.The place next door uses an old wood stove and it’s rig’t by this wall so it’s a lot warmer than tha’ other spots ‘round town.”

Tim kept his face impassive, but thought about how nights on the street go well into freezing temperatures. He remembered how even an insulated Robin suit and cape couldn’t fully keep him from shivering in the snowy wind. He thought about a street kid, dressed in just a hoodie curling into cardboard trying to keep warm. He thought of Batman’s cape suddenly hanging on Robin's shoulders keeping the cold away, and remembered that the restaurant next door closes and turns the heat off before midnight even comes. He suddenly felt cold himself.

“Hmm. Smart. So why’d you fall asleep in the alley over there then?”

“I…I dunno. I was looking for scraps when my head felt real bad. I just closed my eyes for a sec and the next thing I know you’re with that guy in front of the ally…Oh! I mean that guy is in front of the alley all on his own and you’re nowher’ in sight.” The kid laughs nervously.

Sudden headache huh? Hunger maybe? There’s no injuries from what Tim can see.

“And your name which you so graciously didn’t give me earlier?”

At this the kid clams up.

“Oh come on kid we were doing so well. If I tell you mine will that even it out?”

“You’re Tim Drake.”

“Oh, I’m flattered.”

“Wayne’s kid. But people round here, they just call you Red Hood”

“Hmm, I’m less faltered that the Wayne part came before the Red Hood part but still nice I suppose.”

“You’re not angry I know?”

“Well you did see my face, and my makeup has been absolutely terrible tonight. And well, I am Arkham's most famous inmate.”

“So then why the whole show wit’ the cops and everythin’?”

“I’m trying to piss someone off by doing a better job than them and not wearing mask.”

“Who?”

“Batman, Nightwing and depending on the day of the week Batgirl. Tim Drake has oh so helpfully taken care of three wanted criminals this week alone. ”

“You really are crazy then.”

“That’s what they tell me.” With that Tim curtsied to his audience.

“Well, at least you’re crazy on the right side. You’re the only one helpin’ ‘round here.”

“That why you’re not screaming murder right now?”

The kid shrugged. “You were…you saved a girl last week. She showed me where the good dumpsters are. She told everyone who’d listen the Red Hood was coming back to the alley and this time”, the kid looked him straight in the eyes, ”he was doin’ what everyone needed. So. Thanks I guess, or whatever. I won't tell.’”

Tim took in the kid and was glad to see he wasn’t shivering anymore. Sure, the fact his streak of no real evidence or witnesses will stay strong is great but he wasn't all that worried. More just curious how a kid got around his system. And now he had a problem. He was glad. And being glad meant he actually felt something which never ended well these days.

“Tell you what kid.” He crouched to get the kid in eye level. “You tell me your name and I’ll take both of us for some late dinner. All on me, promise.”

The kid eyed him with that little glare again.

“You really won’t hurt me?”

“I hurt the bad guys kid.”

“Then why the Joker getup?”

At this Tim felt his face stretch into a grin. It scared the kid, but it wasn’t Tim’s fault. He really, truly couldn’t help it.

“I’m trying to piss Batman off, remember?”

And they left that in the air for no one to try and touch. It felt like a much heavier statement than the one before it.

But the kid read something on Tim’s face, took a heavy breath, the mist from it swirling and hiding the anxious look in his eyes.

“Jason Todd. My name’s Jason Todd.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not enough Reverse Batfam in the world.


	2. What are we doing here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should warn you my language is definitely teen and up.

Jason knew this wasn’t the smartest idea.

Red Hood or not, Tim Drake was a known crazy. The newspapers he used to keep the cardboard dry with had his name plastered over them for weeks. In Gotham that was a hell of an achievement.

Something that kept a Gothamite’s attention for that long had to be either something to do with Wayne or a crime so awful it counted as a war crime even when there wasn’t a war. This one time the stars decided to align and do both.

_“Tim Drake-Wayne missing! Wayne family asks for help!”_

_“Tim Drake-Wayne kidnaped from street, police baffled! Joker main suspect!”_

_“Commissioner opens information hotline!”_

_“One month gone and still no clues! Public outraged by police incompetence”_

_“Joker sighted in Amusement Mile! Batman in pursuit!”_

_“THE JOKER IS DEAD.”_

And Jason’s personal favorite: “ _Tim Drake: Joker’s last laugh.”_ Classy. 

While the upper crust clutched its pearls at the horror little Timmy had endured, the streets were buzzing. One crazy dead, and another to take his place, except this one was a devil they didn’t know.

Sure, the papers said Wayne was rehabilitating the kid. Doctors, pills, therapy. Hell, one of the rags even said he was taking Tim on Brazilian meditation and self-discovery retreats so he could bathe in volcanic ash or something.

It was all very sensational.

People sent flowers to the mansion in droves. The taxi driver Jason passes by once a month said the whole front gate just became a wall of plants.

A show of support for the teen CEO that had shown Gotham kindness which hadn’t been seen since Martha Wayne.

Too bad it was all flowers people bought for his funeral.

Somewhere between the too-loud-to-be-real crying and the unrelenting reporters calling Tim a possible future psycho, Jason got the distinct impression people would have rather Tim dead than Joker Junior. 

He felt a bit bad for the sucker.

Not enough to break into tears, shit always happened in Gotham but still. Getting sent to Arkham by your own kind must really suck.

Speaking of which, isn’t that’s exactly where Red Hood should currently be? Not that they ever hold him for long these days. They say he has one criminal charge but apparently the commissioner himself insisted Drake be put in Arkham. Something about Blackgate not being adequate to hold him.

Rumors like that make him someone the streets respect.

So yes, Jason was doing something stupid.

He was following a known murderer into a dingy dinner after he witnessed one of his usually perfect crimes.

Not like he can say no though. Hood would just track him anywhere he went. And well. He was hungry.

Watching the waitress nearly faint is also kinda funny too.

  
  


"M-mmm-mister Drake. We haven't um. We haven't seen you in a while"

  
  


"Hello Jenny! I _have_ been neglecting this place for far too long. Figured I'd drop in. " 

Jenny definitely looked like she didn't mind him staying far far away. 

"S-ss-sure. Um. I'll get you guys some menus?" 

"That would be lovely." 

_Sweet mother of chili dogs his smile is way too freaky._

It's not even on both sides, his left side pulling higher. The teeth almost look like they're glowing. Sharp. And not a single laugh line to go with them. Kinda like it's painted on. 

Jenny apparently thought so too, cause she goes as white as his teeth and runs to the counter, grabs two menus and runs back. 

"Here you go! Please, take your time! I'll close shop so you gentleman are our only priority!" 

And with that she disappeared into the kitchen. 

"Ah, Jenny's gotten a bit faster. Must be the experience." 

_Or maybe she's calling the police cause a crazy person walked into her diner with a kid_. 

"Well, I don't really need a menu. The only thing good here is the burgers and one particular taste of milkshake. A friend of mine tasted every single one. It's 100 percent true." 

Hood was apparently expecting a reaction cause he looked at Jason funny again. His hand tugged out a blue napkin from his from pocket. 

" You are very quiet for an eight year old. "

_For a what now._

" I'm twelve. "

Hood snorted. 

"Sure, and I'm Wonder Woman on Saturdays." 

"Yeah right, you wish."

"Sigh, this is why I never reveal my identity. No one ever believes me." 

He used the napkin to wipe away some of the messed up makeup from his eyes. It didn't really do much, just smeared it around. 

"Now, mind telling me how old you actually are?" 

"I'm not eight!" 

"Alright, six then?" 

_Wow, how does the police never catch someone this dumb?_

"I'm twelve!" 

"No, you're not." 

_God, he sounds so condi… Conda… Condisending !_

Jason pitched his voice down and glared at him again, trying his best to mimic Tim's blank features. 

"Yes I am." 

Hood smirked. 

"Fine, don't tell me." 

At that moment Jenny popped her head out again. She looked slightly more calm, the police probably told her to keep Hood happy. 

"Ready to order?" 

"I'll have the usual Jenny, thanks." 

"... I'll take that too." 

"Great! Be there as quick as possible!" 

And then she was gone again. 

"... You know she called the cops right?" 

"Of course." 

"You don't care?" 

"I've had my fun for the week. Batsy will be here soon enough to take me back. Nevermind that though, what are we going to do with you?" 

"Me?" 

"Yes, you chipmunk." 

"I am not a chipmunk." 

"You sound like one. " 

"What?" 

Hood sighs. "Nevermind. Look, I may be a murdering lunatic but I'm not crazy enough to just let you sleep on the street. You might… catch a cold." 

Jason didn't understand the sentence at all. All the individual words made sense sure, but whatever Hood was talking about was beyond him. 

" I… I don't usually sleep on the street. This is just… Until a better place crops up. Don't worry about it. "

Suddenly, two plates appeared before them. 

"You food, please enjoy!" 

Jenny's arms shook so bad Jason thought she'd drop the burgers on the floor. 

No one really said anything once the food arrived. Tim methodically removed the wrapper and started eating. Jason stared as the Red Hood, crime alley angel of death, chewed every bite like he was eating taffy. 

It was so weird. 

"Something wrong Jason?" 

Jason shook his head and copied Tim. Not with the chewing though, the food was way too good to be eaten that slow. They both ate their food in silence, the empty restaurant, the smell of grease and sound of wrappers crinkling easing Jason's buzzing mind a little. 

Sure, he was sitting across Tim Drake of all people, but the food was better than anything he'd eaten in a whole year. Fresh, clean and whole. He didn't care if it was Clayface sitting across from him, he was going to enjoy it. 

Tim didn't seem to mind. His eyes went to the window for a few minutes and haven't gone back in focus. 

Nothing really moves until the bell on the door rings. 

Now, look. Jason's seen big guys. His dad was as tall as a door, the bouncers for Falcone's night club had arms that looked more like telephone polls. 

But Batman looked bigger. 

Somehow, he looked far far too big for the dingy little dinner. 

It looked like the neon lights made his black suit melt into even darker colors. Made him look like the thing Jason always imagined under the bed. 

Suddenly, Jason lost his appetite. 

"Um. Tim." 

Hood dragged his eyes from the window and hummed at Jason. 

"Hmm?" 

Jason jutted his head towards the door. 

Hood raised his eyebrows and turned around. The sight of Batman had the opposite effect on him than it did on Jason. 

"Wow. Jenny's not the only one getting quicker these days."

Batman didn't say a thing. He or It just glided across the floor and grabbed Tim by his shoulder. 

"Tim. Time to go." 

"I'm afraid not Batsy. Come back in ten minutes. I have a problem here." 

"Tim." 

"Oh come on B. Just go-", Tim circled his hand around, "chase Catwoman or something for a little bit. Promise I'll be here when you come back."

Apparently, Tim's smile didn't convince Batman of his good intentions. Shocker. 

Neither really said anything for a few seconds. They just. Stared at each other. Finally, Hood sighed, loudly. 

" Fine. If you sit down for a minute I'll let you help out. Just- stop it with the silent judgment already it's making me go mad. Or is it too late for that?" 

Jason braced himself against the table. This was the part where Batman slams Tim's head against the table and drags him away to Arkham, probably taking Jason along as an accessory to something. Jason Todd, convict at 10. What a way to go. 

But. Nothing happens. Instead, another agonising silence later, Batman just...sits down. 

How he even fit next to Tim is beyond him. 

"Explain." 

Tim cleared his throat. 

"Jason, this is Batman. Batman, this is Jason. I just met Jason as I was taking an evening stroll through our lovely alleys." 

"You mean you met him as you were running away from your crime scene where you shot Edwin Douglas in the leg and shoulder." 

Jason felt something get stuck in his throat all of a sudden. 

"Now where would you get that idea? I just found him as I was strolling along." 

"Hmm, I'm sure." 

And again, that smile. 

"Well, we can argue about semantics later. We're here to talk about Jason." 

And wow, Jason never wished to hide more than in that moment. Batman's full attention felt like someone was strangling him. 

"I need you to take him to Bruce for a while." 

_WHAT._

"What?" 

"Come now B, your hearing isn't that bad. I need you to take Jason somewhere safe, warm and filled with food until I find him a home that isn't a few pieces of cardboard." 

"I… What are you talkin' 'bout Hood?" 

Jason may have been a bit shrill. He wasn't sure. Suddenly that chipmunk comment made a bit of sense. 

"I've been thinking about it. You can't stay on the streets. CPS has obviously failed you completely, and if you have any parents they don't deserve the title. I can find you a nice family with some time, and until then B here is my best choice to keep you safe. You get a roof over your head, B gets a project to occupy him for a weekend and I sleep soundly on my cell padding. It's perfect. "

And with that Tim claps his hands together and starts cleaning up the table. 

" Tim. "

" Yes Batman? "

" You know that's kidnapping."

Tim laughed. 

" Right. Cause you don't _ever_ break the law. "

" Um. Hood. I'm really fine where I am. "

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. Hood's smile froze and his eyes dragged over Jason's face. 

"No. You're not. You're a tiny child in need of protection and family and I refuse to let a kid I had a nice meal with suffer for nothing." 

He spread his hands on the table. Jason eyed the scars on each finger. 

"And really B, you can't refuse. We both know what happens when I **don't** get what I **want**." 

Batman looked like he was about to answer, his jaw stiff, but the sirens of police cars cut him off. 

"See, even the police agree with me!" 

Tim clapped his hands again. 

"Well, it looks like we've run out of time! It's been great, we will definitely be doing this again Jay." 

Hood stood up at the same time Batman did, stretching his long arms out. He ruffled Jason's hair so quickly Jason didn't even get to duck from it. 

The two walked out and Tim slammed a large bill down on the counter where Jenny had hid underneath. 

" Thanks for the food Jenny. As always, compliments to the chef." 

They didn't stop after that. Out the door and to the cops waiting out front. 

Jason could see them talking through the window as Batman handed Tim over. Hood was smiling again, and Batman's grip got tighter. 

Tim turned to Jason and waved as much as the cuffs on his hands allowed before being carted off to Arkham. Batman stared after the car for a long while. 

"Oh thank God. I thought he was going to blow the whole place up. " 

Jenny's voice, cracking with relief, came from under the counter. 

"Did you know him? Drake?" 

"I-I mean kinda. He came here sometimes . Him and that girlfriend of his. Gosh, he was such a nice guy. Always left a huge tip too. Look at him now though. Complete psycho. And it's only been a year. " 

_Look at what? He didn't really… Do anything. Just had a meal._

_"_ He didn't really do anything though." 

"What are you kid, new?! That's how all the crazies are. One second they're all nice and happy and next BAM! I don't care whose kid he is, they should lock him up and throw away the key till they fix 'im." 

And somehow, that didn't seem right. 

But Jason didn't really know Tim Drake well enough to comment. 

Jenny didn't seem to have anything else to add either, because a cop came up to talk to her.

And that was Jason's chance. 

The door Jenny used for the kitchen was wide open and those usually had a back door. No one was looking, and Jason found the exit with no problem. It led him out into a street he knew like the back of his hand. 

The alley to the right is a dead end for most people but if you're small enough there's an opening in the fence. Go through there, take a left and a few blocks later he'll be exactly where Hood caught him, packed and ready to bolt for anywhere but there. 

It was a solid plan. Probably would have worked too. If only Batman wasn't such a nosy good guy. 

He caught him before Jason even cleared the first block. 

" Come on kid. Time to go. "

Jason struggled to get his feet back on the ground but Batman was a bit like a giraffe next to him. And well, when a giraffe holds you up by your hood the ground is a long way down. 

"Look mister, just forget it yeah? Hood's… I mean Tim's got it all wrong. I'll just go back home and you don't have to worry about me." 

"Tim is many things Jason, but he's very rarely wrong about children in need. And Tim's demand or not, I can't let a child out on the street. You need to come with me" 

Jason snarled at that. "I don't need to do anything. Both you and that jerk just think you know best. I'm fine! Let me go" 

But Batman didn't. He just stared as Jason tired himself out, thrashing around and hitting air. 

"You… _huff…_ Both really… _huff…_ Suck" 

"Hmm." 

"And you look like a wannabe Dracula." 

"Hmm." 

"And your buddy is a weirdo." 

Batman let out a breath. 

"Tim has his issues." 

"Still better than you though." 

That gets him a quirk of his lips though. 

"Hmm. " 

"Would you let me go if I told you I know where some of the gangs hide their stash?"

"No, but I'd appreciate the information non the less." 

Jason was running out of options. 

"You said this is kidnappin'." 

"No. I know Tim doesn't trust the CPS but I will be giving them a call." 

And that made Jason's blood freeze. 

"No-o. Please, you can't. Hood.-Hood made you promise! You can't send me back!" 

"You're a runaway minor Jason, the law is-" 

Batman tried saying something after that but Jason didn't really hear it. The letters CPS were screaming in his ear and he couldn't get enough air. Again, it felt like someone was strangling him, but worse this time. Like his heart was being squeezed as well. 

His arms were suddenly free and the weight from his shoulder moved to his chest. It was pressing down and releasing, someone was saying something. 

"Breath Jason, breath with me. In, hold, out." 

"Slowly, just slowly." 

"You're safe Jason, I promise. No one will hurt you as long as I'm here." 

Jason realized Batman was in front of him, trying to get him to breath. His feet were on solid ground, the air was rancid as always and he was shaking again. 

" Please. I don't want to go back. " 

It was quiet, even to Jason's ears. 

Batman didn't say anything. He searched Jason's face but made no expression. He moved his hands to his own shoulders and unclipped the things that held his cape up. The giant cloth was then placed around Jason's shoulders, heavy and stupidly warm. 

"Alright kiddo. We'll figure something out. I promise." 

And that's how Jason Todd found himself standing in Bruce Wayne's front lobby. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, at the same time, a softer universe and an edgier one. No, I don't know how that works either.
> 
> On the bright side, Tim decided Jay needed a guardian angel somewhere between the chipmunk comment and Jay's starving appreciation of food. Yay, bonding.
> 
> BTW if it isn't obvious this is my first fic ever on here so-  
> Expect newbie mistakes-  
> But I'll try-  
> Update: Just some slight spelling and paragraph fixes. Nothing of substance was changed.  
> Till next time then-


	3. How did I get here

Batman often pitied Bruce Wayne.

Even before, before Tim was placed into Arkham, before Joker decided to use his son as a sick Joker doll, before Damian renounced him as a father, before the fights, before the cowl, before, before, before…

As a child there was a part of Bruce that pitied what was left of his life. That part never really went away, it just expanded. From himself onto the crumbling city his parents loved. Then those less fortunate. Then those the world deemed dead weight. It was a lot, too much, and it came with unbearable amounts of anger and sadness. Those are the parts Bruce transformed into Batman, chipping away at the excess every night he showed justice to those he pitied.

It was the only way he knew to help the one he pitied at the start of it all.

Watching Tim getting driven off to Arkham makes him feel like he never really helped anyone at all. Then he’d realize it wasn’t Batman screaming in his head for his boy, wishing to get him away from everyone and everything, it was Bruce. And that made it easier to push all of the excess back, push Bruce away, and return to being a tool of justice.

Act. As you’ve always done. Determine the facts.

Tim once again escaped Arkham a week ago. His usual pattern of action didn’t change. After a day or two of silence he tackles open cases that focus on the worst parts of Gotham. He finds the culprits and either through torture or severe injury forces them to confess, while at the same time leaving no evidence or witnesses. All victims refuse to testify to his involvement. As a calling card he always calls the police with the location using his real name. A statement meant only for Batman.

_“You think I’m making all this up!? All of this was for you! All of it was because of you! He thought you might find it funny, a sidekick turned freak show. Don’t you understand- someone that far gone would never be anything other than a monster! Everyone knew that, they all saw him for what he was. How much more evidence do you need? What can I do to make you understand…Killing him wasn’t what broke me Bruce._

_It was the thought that if someone had just done it earlier none of it would have happened.”_

All those Tim sends to maximum security die of poisoning within the week. No traces of poison are ever found on anything. Tim is always in Arkham by that point. The poison is fast acting.

There’s only one possible suspect and he knows what the term perfect crime truly means.

He’s also a sixteen year old kid who loves photography and trying out every restaurant in the entire Gotham area to “compare and analyze which restaurant would be best to survive a zombie apocalypse in.”

Bruce hadn’t seen that kid in over a year. He missed him every day.

But today the pattern didn’t hold. Today he got to see Tim.

His son was sitting in a diner, happily talking to a child half his height. He wasn’t laughing or humming, and when he smiled his left side pulled higher than the other. Junior’s smile was always perfect. Tim’s used to be crooked.

He didn’t ask Bruce if he finally found any clues. He didn’t ask if Damian called yet. He didn’t ask if Bruce understood yet.

Instead he talked about Jason Todd.

Jason Todd, currently hugging Batman’s cape around him like a giant blanket , standing on Bruce Wayne's door, looking like he’s about to run off into the woods or faint from exhaustion.

Both of those options went directly against Tim’s wishes.

_“I guess I’ll be visiting home soon then! Can’t wait. Oh, and B…if the kid isn’t taken care of like I said-I’m going to start becoming **very** persuasive. Beginning with the lowest cell in Arkham and ending with the last cell in Blackgate.”_

_“Have fun!”_

Batman didn’t like bowing down to threats. Bruce didn’t see the need to risk it.

Especially considering the kid looks like he needs all the help he can get.

Batman dropped the kid off at the front door, rang the bell, and waited for Alfred to buy him a few minutes to change out of his suit.

Alfred hadn't said much the whole night. Silently listening to the whole affair, like he has every night since Tim's capture. Bruce knew Al would understand , he always did. As such Batman wasn't surprised when Alfred opened the door and smiled at the child. He introduced himself as the butler and slowly stepped aside so that Jason could walk in. 

Jason didn't at first. He looked at Alfred with narrowed eyes, then at Batman, before dragging his eyes to the lobby behind Alfred. He stepped on his toes to try and see behind Alfred a bit more but seeing as that gave him barely a centimeter of extra height he didn't seem to find what he was looking for. He shuffled on his feet a bit. 

"As lovely as the weather is young sir, I do wish we go inside now. It's much warmer, and I have some freshly made hot chocolate." 

That stopped Jason's shuffling. He lowered his face inside the cape and looked back at Alfred. He wasn't assessing him this time though, he was looking for tells. Batman saw the way his eyes went from the face to the shoulder line to the way Al held his arms. Jason kept still. 

"What um. What about Batman?", murmured the blanket lump. 

"I'm sure Sir Batman has other matters to attend. The night is still young after all." 

That wasn't reassuring the kid. He just kept looking at the hall like it would swallow him. Alfred raised one eyebrow at Batman. Bruce got the message. 

"I vouch for them Jason. They're good people. You'll be safe here, it's why Tim asked me to bring you."

The kid twitched his head towards him but didn't look up. He shook his hands free of the cape and unwound it before giving it to Batman. He glared at the floor the whole while. Bruce took it back. The kid then entered the lobby like his feet were on fire. Alfred bid Batman a farewell and he drove to the cave.

One shower, outfit change and cave lock-down later Bruce Wayne was back home in an impressive 15 minutes.

Alfred had taken Jason to the main living room, two mugs of cold hot chocolate sitting untouched on the table. The kid was picking at the hem of his sweater while Alfred looked on curiously. Or well, as curious as Alfred let himself look, which is about none. Bruce could tell though.

"Ah master Bruce. I was just about to come find you Sir, our guest has arrived."

Bruce really wanted to give the kid the cape back when he looked at him. He was small with it, but like this, surrounded by the massive Victorian furniture, sitting completely rigged and looking at Bruce like he did at Al earlier, Bruce realized he had a _child_ in the manor.

Not to say it was the first time of course. Damian was nine when Talia brought him to Bruce all those years ago, and Tim was twelve. But Damian refused to act like a child, and his skills and mentality weren't that of a nine year old. Tim was similar. He didn't have Damian's skills or brutal world view, but the independence driven into him by his parents always made Tim sound so much older than he was. Like being a child was for those below Tim, like Tim had more important things.

Things got better, but Bruce knew his children weren't your typical kids.

He also noticed Jason was smaller than Damian was at 9.

Suddenly Bruce felt a bit shaky. How does one interact with a child in their care that doesn't know how to split a man open with a katana?

"Yeah, sorry to make you both wait. I was doing a bit of exercise and lost the time. You must be Jason! I'm Bruce. I heard you've had quite the night." Brucie flashed Jason a smile. Jason didn't smile back.

Jason looked Bruce over again and took a shaky breath before going back to the hem of his sweater. He held his eyes down before suddenly looking Bruce in the eyes and standing up.

"Look mister, I don't know what Batman has on you but you need to let me go. Just open the door and turn around, you can tell 'im I ran away while you wasn't lookin'"

Bruce feigned shock.

"Has on me? Other than a bad sense of fashion Batman doesn't "have" anything on me. You're here because Tim asked us to help out. That's all"

"Bullshit. Tim ain't here, he doesn't have to know anythin'"

"Language. And believe me, Tim will know. He has a knack for investigation, led his newspaper team in high school."

"Yeah, sounds great. How did that turn out for him?" Jason snarled.

Bruce bit his tongue on that one. 

"...Just. Forget all this yeah. Let me out and I'll change my name or somethin'. Die my hair red, skip town, become a country singer. You'll never see my face again, promise."

Bruce tried not to show his amusement at the thought of Tim being fooled by hair dye and a name change, but the seriousness with which Jason talked about it made Bruce realize another important fact. Jason didn't act like a normal child either. He was terrified, bargaining for escape like they were holding him prisoner. He thought he was trapped. Bruce decided Brucie wasn't going to work.

"Look Jason. I won't lie, this is all very sudden. However, just because it wasn't planned doesn't mean I'm going to blame you for it all. I want to help, it isn't just because Tim asked", or threatened, "but because I agree with him. I have two sons and the thought of them alone and freezing scares me like it would any father. Now that I know you, I'd feel scared for you as well."

Jason looked offended by that.

"That's stupid! You didn't know me five minutes ago, you think I'm that stupid?"

"No, I think you need help."

"Help don't come cheap, and I don't have nothin' to give."

"I really don't need anything from you."

"Bullshit."

"Language."

"Everyone wants somethin'.And unless you tell me why you're doing this really I'm leavin', even if I have to go thought you and your snooty butler."

He looked like he meant it. Bruce sighed and thought about something to deescalate the situation but his usual methods wouldn't work here. Damian always stopped threatening to run away once Bruce mentioned his personal zoo wouldn't like to be moved, and Tim could always be bribed with coffee.

Yeah, bribing Jason with anything didn't seem like it would work.

The kid was still waiting though and he looked more anxious by the minute. Eyes fleeting to the door and Bruce, he reminded Bruce of Tim in his Arkham cell those first few days.

Wait...That might work.

"Tim said he'd come visit if you stayed. Tim never visits since...well, he doesn't like it here all that much anymore. But I miss my son, and seeing him would be...very nice."

That got Jason's attention.

"If you stay, I promise we will not keep you prisoner or harm you. You'll be our guest. In exchange I'll get to see my son outside a cell."

Closer to the truth than Bruce would like to admit. Maybe he didn't have to. Jason seemed to read something in Bruce that told him he wasn't lying. He went back to his sweater hem.

"...Why would he come to see me and not you? He barley knows me."

"He must have liked you."

Jason looked up at that one. He swallowed, added quietly: "He really is crazy then. No one likes street rats. Let alone one as useless as me."

Yes, Bruce realized Jason wasn't like other kids either. He was far more in need of protection than any kid he's ever talked to.

"Tim only likes people who are worth all he can give them."

Jason didn't seem to believe that one but he didn't comment.

"And, if you leave, Tim will come find you anyway. Why not stay somewhere safe in the meantime?"

A few minutes passed in silence. Alfred resumed dusting the room's many knick knacks but he did catch Bruce's eye once, with a small shake of his head. Patience, he was saying. Let him think it through. Bruce understood. He took a seat on the couch far opposite Jason and waited. Eventually, what broke the silence was a yawn. Jason's, to be precise. The kid blinked up at them and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to keep them open. He sighed then.

"How about...I stay till Tim comes visit. Then, you convince him to forget about me and this whole _new home bullshit._ You get to see 'im, and I get to go."

That...wouldn't work.

"You stay till Tim comes to visit and we'll explain to him your wishes. I can't promise to convince him of anything."

Jason scowled at that one.

"You convince him! Aren't you his old man? Just...make him or something."

"Believe me son if I had that ability I'd have fewer headaches."

"You are as useless as the rags make you out to be. I owe Mickey a nickle."

Bruce saw Alfred's mustache twitch up. That was Alfred-speak for amusement.

"You have to convince him. I don't wanna new home, I don't wanna new family. I just wanna be left alone."

"I'll. I promise to try and help find something to satisfy you both. Tim has a good heart but he only understands his view of things. It's why he always believes he's right."

Suddenly Damian's voice seemed to ring in his head: _That would be the pot calling the bat black, yes father?_

Jason didn't seem fully satisfied but he eventually nodded his head.

"I can't just run away from Hood. You're my best bet."

"So you'll stay?"

"I'll stay. Till you get Hood off my back."

"Good. We're glad to have you, aren't we Alfred?"

"Quite Sir. Now, I do believe children have bed times, and 2 AM, is far past it. If you don't mind Sir I'd like to show you to your bedroom?"

Whatever was keeping Jason awake seemed to be fading fast. He just nodded his head and went to follow Alfred, taking his bag with him. Alfred took the bag from an unsuspecting Jason and gave it to Bruce.

"Do carry that for us master Bruce. It's unsightly for a guest to carry their own bag."

And a lot heavier than Bruce thought Jason could even carry.

"Hey, give it back!"

"I assure you Sir, it will be coming with us to your room. Come along now, we shouldn't dally."

Jason sent Bruce an anxious look but didn't make a move for the bag. Together the little group moved through the halls towards the main family wing. Jason kept watching Bruce out the corner of his eye, until the family portraits came up on the walls. He seemed to find them interesting so he slowed down, but he didn't stop. Alfred had long moved ahead of the two.

"Huh."

"Something wrong?"

Jason yawned again.

"Nothin' it's jus'. He always smiled crooked huh."

Jason really wasn't like the other kids. Even his own.

"He did. He still does, when he truly likes something."

"Huh."

"Yes?"

"You said he liked me?"

"Yes, I truly think he did."

And maybe it wasn't meant to be heard but Jay's hushed slightly awed exclamation of "Red Hood really liked me..." was adorable enough to remind Bruce of a realization he had back when Damian was small enough to pick up.

Bruce Wayne often pitied Batman. Batman wasn't allowed to have sons, only soldiers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably add that this Jason is less jagged than usual kid Jason cause he's been on the streets for a shorter time period. 
> 
> -Also, "a bit lost but trying hard" dad Bruce is here! Here's to hoping I don't mess it up.  
> Till next time-


	4. When did I get here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian gets an interesting phone call.

Titus wouldn’t stop barking.

Did he have a valid reason for it? Yes, Damian hadn’t taken him outside like usual, his food was slightly stale and the smell of blood was probably a bit overwhelming for the dog’s sensitive nose.

Did Damian logically understand? Of course.

Did he still curse out all his ancestors for cursing him with life in general? More than usual.

Getting Titus to stop would mean getting up. Getting up means aggravating his wounds. That leads to spilling even more blood on his already bloody Persian rug. That leads to having to go change into ‘real people’ clothing. Then he will remember he has a wound to stitch, but only after he gets his new clothes bloody.

6 stitches, clothes change and sunglass acquisition later he will have to deal with the annoying staff in the lobby that are just waiting to grovel at the feet of Gotham’s richest son.

Somehow, that part sounds like the worst torture.

Damian isn’t one to grovel in childhood memories but if there is one thing he misses it’s the way he could get away with snipping at staff and servants. Father successfully taught Damian that was seen as rude and unbecoming of a Wayne, but it was far more effective than ‘smile and play nice’. They never went away when Damian smiled and played nice.

He took ten seconds to mourn his fate and proceeded to do all of the above. He’s an adult, and unlike his father he refuses to rely on staff like a crutch. No matter if said staff is family.

Luckily the top floor of the building was all Damian’s so he didn’t have to hide his wince on the way to the elevator. Not that someone limping in pain was an unusual sight in Bludhaven.

Damian made his way to the lobby , scrolling through the news, when a certain phone call ruined his morning plans.

“Hey Damian! Good morning.”

“Kent. Morning.”

“You doing ok?”

“Fine.”

“Can the rich spare us poor people a full sentence please?”

“I had a long night Kent. Get to the point.”

“Grump. I’m calling to ask about the new kid.”

“What new kid? No one joined the Titans as far as I know.”

“No, not the Titans. The Waynes. Dad says Bruce has a new kid at the manor.”

“What?”

Kent got excited like the golden retriever he usually is.

“Yeah, I heard Dad and Mom talking. Bruce called to tell Dad he’d be off line for a bit and Dad got scared something happened so he flew over to see what was up. Apparently, a kid opened the door and closed it in his face when he said he was a reporter. Alfred was mortified.”

“…Why was he there.”

“Don’t know, that why I’m calling! Dad didn’t say.”

Kent kept talking about something but he got called away soon and Damian was left staring at his phone. A single news article stared at him.

“Batman returns Tim Drake to Arkham”

Damian saw red.

The cave was empty when Damian got there. The bats were quiet, the lights dimmed and the air smelled of disinfectant. Nothing had moved since he left half a year ago. The only new addition was the spotlight on Tim’s old uniform.

He didn’t stay for long.

It was a Saturday, his father was probably in his office, so he moved there like lightning. He didn’t stop, even when he heard a childish voice talking to Alfred in one of the side corridors.

His father didn’t expect him to walk into the office and slam the door.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing.”

“Damian? “

“Yes Bruce, it’s me. Unless you’ve forgotten what your first son looks like.”

“I-What are you doing here. I thought you were in Blud-“

“I am _here_ because you need to be stopped. What in the world are you thinking, bringing another child into this? Has Junior taught you _nothing_?”

That always struck Bruce where it hurt and it still whipped the confusion off his face and replaced it with his blank expression.. Bruce sat back down and linked his fingers in front of his face, taking a second to exhale.

“I don’t understand what you’re referring to son.”

“I’m talking about the child I just heard down in the hall father. What, Tim’s been gone a year, Batman gets lonely sitting next to gargoyles so you just went and picked another one up?”

“It’s not like –“

  
“I warned you when you took Tim in. But I was a fool for not doing more than that. I won’t let you indoctrinate another child into your crusade. If that child isn’t gone by the end of the week I will personally call CPS and tell them the child it safe here.”  
  


“Damian, Jason is here _because_ it isn’t safe out there.”

“Oh, is that what you’re telling yourself.

“Batman brought Jason to Bruce Wayne because _Tim_ asked him to keep Jason safe for a while. I didn’t bring him here to replace Tim if that’s what you’re implying.”

“I don’t believe you. Tim was _only here_ _until his parents come back to town_ , and we both know how that turned out.”

“Tim knew who we were.”

  
“And the new one does not?”  
  


“He has no idea. He’s a nervous street kid with no family or friends who was picked up by Red Hood in Park Row and given over to Batman. Tim wants time to find him a stable home. That’s all Damian, I swear I have no intentions of telling him of Batman.”

Damian scowled, his father’s words not making sense.

“Why in the world would Tim do that? He never cared about crime alley orphans beyond his orphanage programs.”

It was standard protocol. Street kids were reported and handed over to CPS, after which they made sure the child would be sent to a respectable orphanage if possible. Drake even opened one in his late father’s name. They never did more beyond that however.

Bruce shook his head.

“He caught his eye I guess. If you want to know more you’ll have to visit Tim.”

“So what now? You’re just…babysitting essentially?”

“Hmm, I suppose. I would have called CPS by now but Tim has warned me that doing something like that wouldn’t end well for anyone. I’ve decided it’s better to wait.”

“Why are you taking time off then if not to train a new Robin?”  
  


“Alfred recommended a civilian would get suspicious if I simply disappeared every night. That, and I believe Jason could do with some positive interaction.”

“How novel, been reading parenting books have we?”

Bruce raised an eyebrow.

“I dug out the ones I bought when you came along. I was just paying more attention to the trauma section.”

Damian smirked despite himself.

“And the chi-Jason. Jason just went along with it?”

Father chuckled.

“No. So far I’ve made around five different deals with him, all revolving around the terms of his stay here. The basics are that he won’t run away or cause trouble until Tim gets here and then I have to help convince Tim that Jason is fine living on the streets alone. “

“And you agreed?”

“I agreed to help find a compromise. Jason keeps trying to get a more concrete answer however.”

“Wait. Isn’t Tim in Arkham?”

“Yes. He said he’d come visit Jason next time.”

Next time he escapes his impossible-to-escape cell goes unsaid.

Damian finally sat down. He felt the ball of anxiety in his stomach fade away knowing another child wasn’t going to walk down his bloody path. His father seemed to relax as well. Damian took him in and found he looked better than six months ago. As expected, he had time to come to terms about Robin’s state. He still seemed tired, different from the man in Damian’s early memories, but he looked a bit better when he talked about the new kid.

His father caught him staring and smiled a bit, which froze Damian’s thoughts. Bruce hadn’t smiled at Damian in a year.

“Hello Damian. I didn’t get the chance to say welcome home.”

What? Was the manor still home? After everything? No, his father was just being sentimental. The boy must remind Bruce of when Damian was small. Uncle Clark did always say Bruce was a softie, deep down.

“Hello Bruce. I’d like to meet the child you and your criminal son kidnaped.”

“Sure, just please don’t tell him about your office. He’ll try to rope you into making him an official contract. “

“I only take cases with actual merits. Bruce Wayne vs Small Child is beneath me.”

The first thing Damian noticed was that Jason was wearing his old clothes. The second is that they were too big on him.

“I imagined you were harboring a child, not a baby. “

This apparently offended the boy. His hair was ruffled like Alfred the Cat’s fur in the morning. He also showed his teeth like Alfred.

“This baby will knock your teeth out.”

Damian raised an eyebrow.

“Shall I get you a ladder so you can reach?”  
  


Alfred walked into the den where Bruce had brought Damian, carrying his usual tea tray.

“Manners master Damian. Master Jason is a guest.”

“Yeah jerk. I’m a _guest._ ”

“How old are you?”

“Twelve!”

Damian turned to Bruce.

“He’s ten.”

“Traitor.”

The kid looked nine, but Damian realized up close it wasn’t normal. The kid was too thin, the clothes hanging off all wrong, his cheek bones were too defined for someone who should still have baby fat. Malnutrition. Stunted growth. Health risks.

“My name is Damian Wayne. I came to see what caught my father’s interest.”

“Great. When are you leaving?”

“Jason, manners.”

“What, he isn’t a _guest_.”  
Bruce sighed.

“How did you meet Tim?”

“Accident. He found me after I passed out in an alley.”

Damian didn’t believe that for a minute.

“Interesting. I think I’ve seen everything I need. Here.” He grabbed a card from his suite pocket.

“That’s my number. If my father causes more problems and you can reach the phone tell me and I’ll fix it.”

Jason took the card and studied it.

“You’re a lawyer?”

“Prosecutor.”

“Huh. Cool.”  
Jason stuffed the card into his pants pocket and studied Damian a bit more before he went back to the book he and Bruce interrupted. Bruce put a hand on Damian’s shoulder and they walked outside.

“Thank you for that. Don’t take the dismissal personally, he’s nervous.”

“Around new people?”

“In general. He’s been here a few days and I’ve only seen him openly express himself when he forgets where he is. Alfred asks him book questions simply to get the child to talk. “

“Alfred is still the only reason you accomplish anything I see.”

“Was there ever any doubt?”

The conversation stopped there. Damian didn’t know of anything to continue discussing with Bruce . He didn’t really have the right to do so anyway. Damian cut Bruce out, he told him not to call or come, and here Damian was barging in like a petulant child. It was long passed the time to leave.

“Don’t mess this up Wayne. I will call Clark if necessary.”

“He was here already.”

Bruce cracked an actual smile.

“He got the door closed to his face.”

And suddenly Damian was back in the cave, in uniform, waiting for his father to start up the Batmobile, arguing about the driving rights of twelve year olds.

Damian didn’t stay long after that.

“I’ll visit Junior. Make sure the child isn’t used for mass murder. Goodbye Wayne.”

Bruce made a move to grab his shoulder again but Damian had already turned around and went for the door, saying a quick goodbye with a solemn looking Alfred on the way.

“And do take care of that limp Master Damian. I do worry about you alone in that city.”

“It’s the same as Gotham Pennyworth, same filth, same stories.”

“No sir, I’m afraid everything is far different when family isn’t at your side. Do come visit this old man when you have a chance, I would love to hear of your work.”

Damian swallowed his guilt away. “If I find the time. Goodbye Pennyworth.”

He pretended not to see Bruce standing in the window as he drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's Damian! In my head, where Dick completely cut out Bruce from his life, Damian very much keeps using Bruce's resources after he leaves Gotham because he sees it as his birth right, not as something Bruce gave him like Dick did. He also sees no shame in relying on family fortune since both his mother and father did that their whole lives.
> 
> He became Nightwing, thanks to Jon and Clark telling him so many stories as a child, and through excellent grades and high social standing became a prosecutor.  
> I have a reason for that.
> 
> Normal timeline Damian in my head becomes a vet. Vet Damian is something I fully support. Butttt, this Damian didn't have a Dick Grayson to tell him legacy is bull and he doesn't have to worry about titles.  
> So Damian, as an only child and oldest, definitely felt like he had to get a more respected job as to not embarrass his father.
> 
> He still left for Bludhaven, and he's still slightly over his head like Dick was, but his troubles are more on learning to deal with people on his own and keeping the League out of his city.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> This fic somehow hit over a 100 kudos!  
> There's a hundred people out there who think this idea is neat, and that's so cool to me. Like, I could host a classroom about my weird AU and a hundred people said "yeah, I'd come."
> 
> Also, I'd love some writing comments if you guys have any. Am I going too slow, too fast, is it too ooc, is the pacing really whack etc. Comments in general as well, what you think of the story and characters. I love to discuss things, post questions for the AU if you have any.
> 
> Till next time, Casual out-


	5. You know I belong here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arkham has a visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm going to bump up the rating for this fic to teen. Just to be safe~  
> Warning for depection of torture! Skip the italics to skip the worst of it

_The pipe was dripping again._

_That meant it was raining outside._

_Tim wondered what it looked like. A river of umbrellas pushing against each other, some enjoying the murky sky but most scowling at the awful weather. There was always someone forgetful, running with their bag over their head, some not caring that rain was pouring over them._

_A purple umbrella twirling in front of Tim, walking ahead cause he said something stupid again. Her hair was wet at the tips, the broken umbrella barley held together, but she refuses to get a new one. Only that one was the perfect shade of purple after all. Tim calls her name and then she turns around, ready to forgive him, and Tim would look at her face and smile because she was way prettier than Tim deserved and-_

_She turned around but Tim couldn’t see her face. It was blank. She was saying something, Tim knew she was saying something but there was no noise. Just the rain. Dripping down._

_No. He can’t forget. He stared at her for a month before their first date. She was blond, blue eyed, a button nose and round cheeks. When she was embarrassed her whole neck went red up to her cheek bones. He knew all this. He knew._

_So why can’t he remember her face?_

_‘~Birdyyy~’_

_Blond. Blue eyed. Smiling. Twirling._

_‘Birdy, are you paying attention?’_

_She hated the rain. She loved the umbrella. She was late to class. He was being slow. She was going to leave him behind._

_‘That’s very rude Junior. I taught you better than to ignore your dear dad. ‘_

_He had to call her name. So she’d turn around._

_‘Kids these days. Heads always in the clouds.’_

_Her name-Her name-What was her name-_

_‘Guess it’s time for a refresher. Don’t worry Junior, this time I’ll make it stick.’_

_Please. Please. Please. Turn around. Please. Come back._

_Don’t leave me alone._

_But it was too late. The rain was gone, replaced by the sound of buzzing electricity, the purple of her umbrella replaced by the purple suit of Junior’s dad. Tim wanted to run after her but his legs **hurt.** His hands **hurt.** He was alone again. _

_Dad was the only one he had._

_‘Chin up Junior, this will bring a real jolt to your life.’_

_Dad pulled the switch. Junior started laughing. Tim was screaming, the pain spreading through every limb. Junior didn’t care it hurt. It made papa look proud. And Junior was the one in control, so he laughed._

Tim woke up laughing.

His dull cell greeted him with the cheer of a graveyard. It was quiet outside the cell as well, something Tim was privileged to since he was the only resident of Arkham’s newest division, The Child Psych Ward. Funded by the Wayne family and made by their specific requirements. Like top paid child psychologists, PTSD experts, common rooms filled with large windows and games of every type, healthy food. Tim wondered how they explained the need for the extra reinforced doors and Robin proof locks.

Usually, Tim would start his day off by being escorted everywhere: The bathroom, the kitchen then his current psychologist. He liked his current doc, he lets Tim undo the tight cuffs they keep him in. Tim would get out of them himself, but they go _so well_ with his white jumpsuit.

But today he seemed to have a guest.

So, instead of his therapist Tim was taken to the visitor center. That was where Damian Wayne sat looking disgusted and posh at the same time. Tim took the seat on his side of the divider and gave Damian his sweetest smile.

“Well I’d say welcome but we both know I’d be lying.”

“Junior.”

“Al Ghoul. Come to charge me with something? Are you finally suing me for that time I posted pictures of you in a cowboy hat?”

“I haven’t come to play games. What exactly are you planning to do with the child?”

“Why Damian! Are you looking to adopt? That’s so sweet but I’m going to give a hard pass. I’ll call you when we have a demon spawn in need of constipated emotional parenting. Your number still the same?”

“You either answer me Drake or I’ll call CPS and tell them exactly where they can find a candidate for a foster home of their choosing.”

Tim gave Damian a tight lipped smile, while under the table his nails were digging into his thigh. Damian’s disdain for Tim hadn’t gone away, and Tim wasn’t in the mood for his lack of humor.

“Why are you here Damian? I thought I was beneath you. Wasn’t that what you said last time? ‘ _A weakling that never should have walked through the Wayne manor door_ ’. “

Damian’s annoyed expression transformed into a seething one. Tim did miss poking Damian. It was like plucking hairs from a lion’s mane, it wouldn’t end well but who else could say they successfully got hair from a lion’s mane?

“On that note what are you doing in Gotham? What was it you said to Bruce? ‘ _I’d rather be an orphan than deal with you and mother ever again’_? ’ _Take your rotten city and burn with it._ ’ Honestly, I wasn’t really penciling you in for the next family dinner.”

“I came when I heard father had another child staying at the manor. I came to stop another fool giving his life to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

“Like you?”

“Like you. And Stephanie.”

Tim giggled. He didn’t find it funny. But he giggled.

“Of course. Us inferior ones.”

“Untrained children that were too innocent for the life I led.”

Tim’s giggles got louder.

“Do you-“, _giggle_ , “really believe-”, _giggle_ ,”any amount of training-”, _giggle_ -

Tim slammed his fist against the divider with all his strength. It shook the whole table, the sound cutting off all others.

“Do you truly believe _any_ amount of training. Of preparing. Of planning. Would have saved me? Would that training _magically_ cut away the chains Joker tied me down with? Would it have made the door in the completely dark cell he kept me in, eyes covered and ears plugged, open? Would it have stopped the endless stream of drugs going through my blood? Or would it have stopped Joker from grabbing me at all? Oh!”

Tim snapped his fingers.

“But you were kidnapped by Joker too! And all your training is superior than mine so-“

“Enough!”

“And Stephanie. Truly, too bad she didn’t have your training Damian. If only someone like you had been there. To _teach_ her. To _save_ her. With their _superior training_.” He could hear himself getting louder. He could feel the nasty scowl on his face, his eyes staring at Damian as he progressively looked more desperate for Tim to stop.

“ _IF ONLY SHE HADN’T BEEN ALONE WHEN YOUR FATHER SAID SHE REMINDED HIM TOO MUCH OF YOU_.”

“ENOUGH!”

This time Damian slammed his fist on the table. He couldn’t look at Tim but his eyes were angry.

“Father needed a solider. You were not soldiers. I told him that when I took Black Bat away from you. You simply took on a new name and called me selfish.”

Damian finally looked Tim in the eyes. His face was paler than usual, the shadows under his eyes somehow making his glare worse. Tim didn’t shiver under it anymore, but it was hard not imagining Bruce scowling down at him instead of Damian.

“I wish he had listened.”

Tim giggled again. “I wished you didn’t hate me for five long years but wishes mean nothing.”  
Damian stopped talking. Tim slowed down his breathing. The guard outside the visiting room knocked on the door. Five minutes left. His visitor sighed between his teeth.

“Why did you send Todd to father?”

Tim glared at Damian.

“For protection. Food. Shelter. Things you had your whole life. ”

“And the real reason?”

Tim tensed.

“Well? Out with it? Is he a spy? An assassin? Brainwashed lackey waiting for your orders? A mole?”

And that. That made Tim laugh. Damian braced was suddenly as tense as a bow string.

“He is a child. And you Damian-“

Tim got off his chair and leaned as close as he could to the divider.

“You will stay away from him. You won’t belittle him, or “train” him. You won’t poison Bruce’s mind with your theories, or scare the kid off. You will leave him alone. Let him live in the manor. And you won’t even think of calling CPS because if you do Damian I will personally give Ra’s and Talia the location of every single safe house, of every single security measure, of every single meal you plan to have until he makes your life a living hell not even the JL can save you from. “

The threat worked on Damian just like it did on Bruce. They would completely go still but their eyes would go wide with rage and anxiety whenever someone made a threat that had weight behind it. He could practically hear Damian gritting his teeth together. Well, it’s Damian’s fault really. Ra’s would never have been a problem if had just stayed with Bruce.

“I don’t know what you’re using that child for Drake, but I promise you, I won’t let you hurt my family anymore. Father may not see you for what you are now Junior, but I do. I see exactly how little you care, and I won’t simply ignore it. I’ll stop you. Then perhaps one day Stephanie will be able to forgive me for not doing so sooner.”

Tim laughed once more.

“Ditto.”

Damian left without much fuss after that. Tim’s day resumed its usual ebb and flow, his therapist asking all the same questions as his previous 5 doctors did. Tim gives the same humorous answers. Too bad none of his jokes make people laugh, Joker always thought they were funny. He really hated it when Tim wasn’t funny, so old habits die hard.

He returned to his cell that night thinking about how Damian would stay away from Gotham for a few days before moving into the penthouse to keep an eye on the family. He came earlier than Tim expected, but in hindsight, it wasn’t too surprising. Damian Wayne, for all his posturing, cared for his family. He was loyal, and Tim was counting on that. Damian simply didn’t know how to share. And when in doubt Damian turns to disdain. It’s hurt him far more than he would ever admit, or so Stephanie claims. 

It was almost funny, of all people Tim asked, Damian should have understood Tim the most. But when Tim bared his soul to Damian, begging him to help him clean Gotham out, save her from Batman’s unending cycle…Damian told him he was a mistake. That it was a wasted effort. Insane. Tim realized loyalty to family truly didn't include Tim.

Tim wasn’t going to let Damian keep him from his goal.

He didn’t when he became Robin, and no matter what, Tim never regrets taking on the role. It taught him exactly what he needed.

Take for example, the lovely guards leading him around. Tim already has an idea how to blackmail the two, what with guard A constantly slipping his wedding ring on and off, and guard B every so often checking the ticket stubs in his pocket. By the look on his face they were losing tickets. Adultry and debt seem to be on the table.

Batman taught him those tells.

So, in the end he was right in making Robin, and the decisions he made were correct. He wouldn’t bow down now, especially since he understood his childhood hero was never going to approve of him anyway.

Doing things was much easier when you didn’t care what your golden predecessor thought of you. 

Nevertheless, things had to be moved up. He had to browse through Gotham's wanted section, see if anyone decent was looking for an orphan to adopt. 

Tim fell asleep, dreaming of rain and an empty street. Empty except for Tim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, chapter five!  
> And also, 150 kudos? I'm over the moon. Looks like you guys like AU's with batfam just as much as I do.
> 
> Also, just in case anyone is wondering, I don't have a strict upload schedule. I write when I have time, and making a schedule would just cage me in and disappoint you guys so better not.
> 
> \---------------------------------------  
> Also, so people aren't confused:  
> Damian wasn't called Robin! I thought about it and there isn't a reason for Damian to really pick Robin, instead since he looked up to Bruce so much I think he'd take a name that had Bat in it. He wanted Shadow Bat but that was a mouthful so Alfred suggested Black Bat.
> 
> Later, Tim would take Black Bat's outfit like Jason did Robin, Damian would take it away in a fit of anger, jealousy and confusion, and Tim would have his little hero heart broken till he decides: fuck that guy. He then makes Robin.
> 
> Later, Damian would pass Black Bat to Cass.
> 
> If you guys have any theories or comments share em!  
> And now that angst has been delivered I can move onto fluff!  
> Till next time-


	6. What I wish for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason comes to a few conclusions.

Wayne manor was nothing like Jason expected. Well, it was big and he did expect that, but that’s about it.

There wasn’t any golden furniture, the dishes weren’t made out of diamonds and they didn’t use money as drink coasters. Jay thought he would be bumping into staff left and right, having to dodge murderous butlers and gossipy maids. Guess Agatha Christie didn’t get everything right after all. One butler ran the whole place.

There was also a suspicious lack of outsiders. Well, besides him. No rich friends coming over for cigars and poker nights, no pretty ladies hanging off of Bruce’s arms, not even a pet in sight. Jason thought he read somewhere that the place was like a zoo but that was a lie too then. That bummed him out just a little, he always wanted to see a lion.

The place was actually a lot better.

Everything was neat and organized, the rooms were expensive but they weren’t ugly like the places he saw on store TVs. Everything looked a million years old but taken care. Jay learned early that that was because Alfred was magic. No way someone could do everything Alfred did and not have magic. Jay kept quiet about it though, cause if it wasn’t magic then Alfred brought people in to clean while Wayne wasn’t looking, and Jay wasn’t about to blow his cover.

But the best part was the quiet.

The Alley was never quiet, someone was always yelling, breaking something, gunshots rang out through the street, his upstairs neighbor cried almost every night and the paper thin walls insured he heard. If not that it was a police raid, sirens and heavy foot stomps waking up the whole street, his mom hugging him closer on the ratty matters, telling him weird stories or singing lullabies until they left.

The streets were the same, but he couldn’t sing as pretty as his mom did.

There though, Jason was happy to find out he was the loudest thing in the whole Manor. He could talk loudly, stomp around, slam a book against a table and it’s like it didn’t matter. The place swallowed the sound up and no one ever told him off. Alfred moved and made absolutely no sounds (which just made his magic theory make more sense), and Bruce was…well, he made sounds but they were all so quiet. He talked quiet, his walk was quiet, hell, even his shoes squeaked quiet. And, he didn’t talk much.

Jay didn’t really understand Wayne. People that care about their kids bled love in a way other people didn’t, and Wayne looked bloody desperate for Tim to come home. So, Jay understood why Bruce wanted Jay to stay with them.

But why then, after Damian’s visit, did he try making small talk at every turn? Asking Jay what his favorite color was? If he liked playing games? Was his book any good? He always looked like his tooth hurt whenever he asked but he still did. Usually during the feasts Alfred calls breakfast.

The weirdest part was that when he wasn’t asking Jason random questions he just…looked sad.

When Jason runs into him, when he peeks at him while he works in his office, when he’s talking on his phone, when he and Alfred discuss stuff, it reminded Jason of…well, his mom came to mind. When she lost her job. She’d come home sad, go out sad. She’d smile at Jay but she still looked sad. That made him feel very bad. He didn’t know how to make her happy again. And then she stopped feeling anything at all.

When Jay realized Bruce looked like his mom his throat felt tight. Bruce was sad, and no one was doing anything, just like Jay didn’t do anything. Tim was his son, Tim would see what Jay did, but Tim was in Arkham. Alfred was the butler, that wasn’t his job, and Damian wasn’t there cause he was an adult with a real job.

No one saw what Jay did, and that scared him because it wasn’t fair. Tim would come home and find his dad sad and Tim had enough stuff making his life bad already. Jason didn’t like owing anyone, but he already spent two weeks in a warm, clean house, where he was fed and taken care of, because of Tim. He owed Tim. And Jason Todd took his debts seriously.

That’s why Jason walked into Bruce’s office and waited for him to look up. He was sitting behind a huge desk, clicking away at a computer, wearing his usual combination of black, black and black.

“Hello Jason. Can I help you?”

“I need you to stop being sad.”

That got Wayne’s attention. The clicks stopped and he raised his eyebrows at Jason.

“Excuse me, I think I misheard.”

“I need you to stop being sad. Tim’s gonna come by soon.”

Bruce pushed the computer away and laced his fingers on top of the desk.

“Why do you think I’m sad?”

“Because you are. I can tell.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

Jason glared at him. “You’re always lookin’ at things far away! You sigh out of nowhere, you never smile. You look like a funeral is happenin’ all the time. I’m not stupid.”

“Hmm.”

“And we have to fix it before Tim gets here.”

“Why?”

“Cause if you’re sad he’ll be sad too.”

Bruce’s lips thinned a bit.

“Don’t worry about Tim Jason, he really doesn’t let me influence anything.”

“That’s stupid! You’re his dad you big boob, it’ll make him sad, I just know it”

“I’m not…his real father. I don’t have the right to call myself-“

“Wha’? You took the kid in didn’t’cha? Did you disown him cause of tha Junior thing?”

Bruce scowled, his voice a bit deeper than before. “No. Tim will always be my son.”

“Then shut up and listen! Kids can always tell if their folks are sad. I could tell for my mom, and Tim will tell for you too. We should fix it before then.”

Bruce’s face softened a bit, he took Jason in for a moment. Then he did that thing where he quirks his lips down just a little.

“Thank you for caring Jason. But this isn’t…something fixable. I simply get caught up thinking about my sons and having them so far away makes me, as you say, sad. “

“Bull, everything’s fixable. You’re just chicken to try.”

“Hmm.”. he sighed,” What do you recommend then?”

That one caught Jason off guard.

Recommend? Doesn’t Bruce have a way? How the hell should he know, Bruce doesn’t drink or smoke as far Jay had seen, and those are the only things that made Willis happy. Coffee made mom happy sometimes but Bruce drinks that already.

Jason started pacing up and down the room, walking made thinking easier. In the meantime Bruce kept silent.

Hunting made rich people happy yeah? But Bruce wasn’t like other rich people. He hadn’t once asked Jason for something bad, or done anything that made Jay feel bad. Rich folk usually saw street rats and ran in the other direction, and that was the good cases. Jay wasn’t too worried about Wayne though, Hood was his kid, and Hood had a no bullshit policy when it came to kids. Still, Jason kept a look out those first few days. Turned out Bruce Wayne was as boring as drying paint. Seemed like nice guy though.

Maybe... Bruce would like what Jason likes? He seemed less sad when he tried talking to Jay so maybe if Jason stuck around long enough he’d help Bruce snap out of it? Jay just had to keep his mind off of things.

“I got it!”

Jason jumped forward and around Bruce’s desk, grabbed the guy around his arm and started dragging him up. He didn’t really get far till Bruce sighed and stood up, letting Jason drag him through the door and down the corridor. They kept walking till they got to the library, which Jason flung open with his free hand. He deposited Bruce next to a chair and ran into the shelves he had started to memories by heart. He found the fiction section quick and walked back with a favorite book of his and a few blank pieces of paper.

“Here!”

The book he gave Bruce was a beautiful edition of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe.

“Have you read it before?”

“Hmm. Can’t say I have. Tim bought it for himself a while back.”

“Well at least someone has taste. Sit!”

Bruce raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Jason took the seat next to him, pulled out the paper he brought and grabbed a nearby pen. He looked up and saw Bruce was staring at him. He could feel his cheeks flush a bit pink at the attention, but he did just drag the man across half his house, he was acting like a loony.

“Well, what’cha waitin’ for? An invitation? Start reading.”

“Aloud?”

“Well yeah, how else am I supposed to know you’re not bullshitin’ me?”

Bruce sighed, “Language”, but he did as Jay said.

Jay’s first thought was: _He has a nice reading voice._

It was deep but not monotone. Jason easily focused on the words and began writing the more complex ones out on his paper. He had read the story but he still loved listening to the part where the kids walk through the wardrobe. Just a bit of walking and they’re suddenly in a completely new world.

Bruce seemed to enjoy it well enough, he didn’t yawn or sigh so Jay figured it wasn’t boring him at least. It went on for a while, Bruce raising his voice for the intense parts and lowering it for the calm ones, dragging Jason back into the world of Narnia easily. He didn’t stop until the kids ran into the Ice Queen, and Jason jerked back into reality.

“Jason? Can I ask what you’re writing?”

“Hmm?” Jason looked down at his paper, completely filled with words.

“Oh this. Alfred said my writin’ needs work. I can read fine, but I didn’t write as much so-“ He shrugged. He could feel his cheeks flushing again, he was already embarrassed enough that Alfred thought him illiterate.

“He said I should listen to words and try and spell ‘em. Then bring it to him and he’d correct ‘em. Figured you’d be better than listenin’ to than a TV.”

Bruce hummed. “Can I see?”

Jay clutched the sheet in his hands. This all suddenly felt like a bad idea. Bruce furrowed his eyebrows.

“You don’t have to show me. I simply thought since Alfred was busy today I could do it for him. We should help you get ready for school as soon as possible.”

And well. Jason couldn’t say no to anything that brought him back to school faster. He scooted over to Bruce and gave him the paper, which apparently made Wayne twitch his lips up. At least he was doing something right.

“Thank you Jay.”

Jason looked up sharply at that one.

“Something wrong?”

“No one calls me Jay, not since my mom.”

“Oh that’s…I’m sorry, I won’t call that you again.”

_Great going Todd you made him sad again._

“No, it’s um. It’s ok. I just”, _haven’t heard it in a long time_ ,”…You can call me Jay. If you want.”

Bruce didn’t say anything but he looked less sad. He picked up Jay’s pen and started correcting his mistakes, occasionally asking him what was written there or what word he was going for. Jay had to lean over to the paper a lot because Bruce was a giant and he was holding the paper. Vaguely, Jay realized this was the closest the two had ever sat but he didn’t find it scary.

“You spell ‘dropped’ with two ‘p’s, not one.”

“Why add another one?”

“That’s um. Because it looks better?”

Jason didn’t buy that but English was weird anyway, who was he to call bullshit.

He made _a lot_ of mistakes. Bruce wasn’t a jerk about it though, he even pulled the words out of the book so Jay could see how they used it in a sentence. He then dictated the words again and Jay made less mistakes that time, and by the third time Bruce gave him a “85 percent success rate”

“Is that good?”

And it was probably really good ‘cause he actually got Bruce to smile.

“It’s great Jay. You did a lot in just one day.”

Jay puffed out his chest a little, he hoped his cheeks weren’t pink again.

“Of course. My old teach always said I was a fast learner.”  
Bruce hummed again. He checked his watch.

“Come on Jay, if we’re late to dinner Alfred will get mad and make us do the silver.”

“Dinner? We just had lunch.”

Bruce huffed out something close to a laugh. (A puff of laugh. A laff.)

“Launch was four hours ago.”

“It was what!?”

Turned out he distracted himself along with Wayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----------------  
> Bruce, internally:  
> Why does the small child think I'm sad? Did I make him sad? Oh, he wants me to be happy and smiley. Aww. Small child that's really not how emotions work. But I guess I'll play along.
> 
> *Later, while reviewing paper*  
> Wait, why am I smiling?  
> \-----------------------  
> Fluff~ Or, well I hope it turned out fluffy at least a little.  
> Till next time-


	7. How I wished for this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce gets to work. it doesn't go well.

Bruce was a detective, and if he were a more self-absorbed man he’d say he was a damn good one. He could put pieces of evidence together faster than Gordon could smoke through a cigar. He wasn’t enough to solve all of Gotham’s problems however. Especially something as broken as Gotham’s orphanages.

He tried to help, he did. Leslie pointed out the corruption early in Batman’s career. He hadn’t understood why so many children ran to the street instead of the shelters, why so many refused all help from CPS. Leslie simply told them the kids were picking a hell they knew over a hell they knew was worse.

_Street kids aren’t kids Bruce. They’re a free workforce._

It boiled his blood then and it makes it scream now. No matter how many people Bruce exposes, no matter how much money Bruce donates, it isn’t getting better fast enough. Jason is a prime example.

Alone since the age of 9, mother found dead of overdose and father doing time in Blackgate, Jason was in the system for two months before he ran away. Since then he’d lived in the streets, until Tim found him around one year later. One year. Alone. At nine.

The police barley looked for the kid. The home Jay ran from was marked as highly trusted. Which, according to the ten year old, was absolutely wrong.

_Jay kept writing the words out again and again without even picking his head up. Bruce had to give it to the kid, he was dedicated. So far they’d done a reading session every day, five in total. Every time Jay wrote pages of words. Bruce found it highly endearing. He even had to admit he enjoyed the book, even if Jay’s commentary turned out to be the best bits._

_“Ugh, I hate that guy. He’s such a prick.”_

_“Language Jay. Use jerk instead.”_

_“Fineeee. That prick is such a jerk.”_

_Don’t smile Bruce, you’ll encourage him._

_“Jay. Please.”_

_“Edward is full of himself. That better?”_

_“Much.”_

_The reading/writing sessions were far more calming than Bruce expected them to be. Jason’s nature, when he wasn’t defensive, was very energetic. Not in a loud way, in an anxious way, like he needed something to do with his hands, filling the room with little sounds like clicking and tapping. It especially showed if he had something to say. He also has no breaks if you get him started on something he enjoys. Bruce had asked who his favorite character in the book was and Jason had spoken for a full twenty minutes without pause. His whole face lit up, and Bruce enjoyed every second of it._

_One comment worried him however._

_“Those brats are so lucky. Wish I had a magic wardrobe. Say, Bruce, you have a lot of wardrobes-“_

_“Sorry Jay, none of them have a secret kingdom on the other side.”_

_“Eh, it was worth a shot…I’ll still check mine though. Always worth checkin’ out those places. I once found a wad of cash and a rusty knife in one.”_

_Bruce looked up from the book. “Where?”_

_Jay smirked. “Back at that old hag’s place. She probably forgot she put it there.”_

_“Your old foster home?”_

_Something in Bruce’s tone made Jason’s posture and tone turn defensive, his eyes flickered over Bruce._

_“Hey, it was her fault. She put me in there, finders keepers.”_

_“I’m not accusing you Jay, I’m just…what do you mean she put you there?”_

_“I didn’t bring in enough cash. She put me in the wardrobe cause I hadn’t earned a bed or somethin’ ”_

_“Cash?”_

_“Yea’,for the rent. And food. I left before winter but she usually charges heat too.”_

_“…”_

_“Can we get back to the book now?”_

Highly trusted, yeah right.

Batman paid a visit to Ma Gunn’s Home for Troubled Children four days ago.

_Completely unrelated to that_ Ma Gunn is spending her old age in prison and Bruce Wayne is the proud owner of yet another orphanage. Lucius wasn’t happy about that one.

_Bruce, the company is burning to the ground and you want to buy an orphanage?_

He winced. He couldn’t bare to give Tim’s old position to someone, and he wasn’t in the state of mind to lead himself. Bruce will admit, he didn’t care those few horrific months after they found Tim. The company simply wasn’t as important.

He’d have to fix that.

As for the orphanage, he couldn’t help but feel it was too little too late. Not when he remembered Jason having a panic attack over the mere thought of going back there.

It also led to a bigger issue. The CPS database was not to be trusted. He’d been searching for a proper home for Jason, something Tim would approve of, but that was much harder when all the good homes might be cover ups.

He’d have to fix that too.

After some thought Bruce decided for the direct approach. He’d visit every home on the trusted homes list and act accordingly. If the family truly was safe, he’d put it on the potential list, if not he’d deal with them as swiftly as possible.

This approach would mean Jason had to stay with them for another month at least. Bruce didn’t mind. It was his turn to pick a book to read.

He also started going out as Batman regularly again. Hopefully, Jason wouldn’t notice his absence, but he wasn’t too worried. Jason seemed to think of Bruce as someone that needed protection and care. He’d follow Bruce around all day like a puppy and tire himself out. He’d slept through the last few pages of Narnia, leaned against the couch.

Bruce had carried the child back to his guest room and tucked him in. Jay had woken up during the ride but after he saw it was Bruce he simply leaned his head against his shoulder. Muttered something about not being a baby.

_Goodnight Jay._

_Goodnight B. Thanks *yawn* for the lift._

He started looking into homes that very night.

Not a single one had made it on the potential list. One was reported.

Tomorrow, he’d found one though it wasn’t ideal. The mother seemed unnecessarily strict. The next day he’d been looking into the Rogers, a family of six and a healthy income who seemed like potential candidates, when a voice called out behind him.

“I’m afraid not Batsy, too many eggs in one basket make the basket break.”

Tim sat behind him, leaning against a gargoyle. His hair was freshly turned green, the red suit didn’t even have a wrinkle in it. His makeup was also perfect, white foundation and red lipstick to accent Junior’s smile. He’d only just gotten out then. The red gloves were new though.

No alert had gone out, which means Tim’s escape hasn’t been noticed yet. Considering the amount of prep time an outfit like that takes, and Tim’s usual info gathering time he had been out around… 4-5 hours.

“They’re responsible people. They could take another child in.”

“Sure, but Jason doesn’t need to be one of a million. He needs attention. You saw his file B, issues like that can haunt a man into adulthood where he decides becoming a vigilante is an acceptable alternative to therapy.”

“You wish to find him something impossible. He’s ten, in a city where all foster homes are either filled beyond capacity or corrupt. His chances are dismal.”

Tim chuckled. “I truly, fully, don’t care. “

He pulled out a stick of lipstick from his pocket and turned draw on the gargoyle.

“This city B, it never has better chances than dismal. Everything is dismal. Unless-”

He drew a smiley face on the gargoyle. “Unless you make it bend in your favor. Unless you make it smile at you. Your chances are dismal because you keep playing by rules no one cares for. Mine on the other hand-” His hand slipped on the smile making it go crooked.

“…Well, that’s not as important. I’ve come to tell you I won’t be going back to Arkham till I finish the urchin situation.”

“You know I can’t let you leave Tim. I’ve already sent GCPD an alert.”

Tim chuckled.”Yes, I know.”

And then he pitched forwards, off the building, into a 67 store drop.

Batman jumped after him, two second delay, but that was enough for Tim to pull out a grapple gun, and with only his precision, perfectly latch onto an open window of the opposite building. He used the momentum to swing to a nearby low building and run across its rooftop, jumping ahead. Batman followed, but Tim was faster, not letting Bruce gain an inch until they hit old slanted roofs. Bruce’s higher stamina helped him up the slants easier and he threw a wire trap at Tim.

Tim jumped out of its way and onto the other side of the roof. His weight loosened the already old roof tiles and he sled down. Before he jumped onto the next roof he grabbed a tile and threw it just as Batman came halfway down.

It was easy to deflect with his cape but it bought Tim just the second he needed to drop into the streets and lead Bruce into a maze of corners and dead ends. He’d gotten away.

Twenty minutes of searching later he got a notification.

_Tim Drake escaped cell, be on the look out._

Bruce wondered if it was too late to give that therapy thing a shot.

His encounter with Tim left a bitter taste in his mouth. Not only did he fail to catch him, Tim’s words told Bruce he was on a timer. Either he found Jason a home quick or Tim would do something drastic. He also had to return him to Arkham, his therapy could only work if it was constant. Tim left so often though, he probably thought it was pointless.

The entire night was a string of failures, and Bruce was absolutely ready to bury himself in reports to forget about it. Which he did. And once that was done all he could do was drag himself to his bed. Which led him passed Jason’s room. That had a light on at six in the morning. And two voices coming from inside.

Bruce opened the door to find Jason and Tim sitting on Jay’s bed, the window letting in cold morning air. Tim had completely changed into civilian clothing, a camera in his hands, not a trace of makeup hiding his scared face. Whatever they had been talking about had Jay slack jawed. He looked up sharply at Bruce’s entrance and with wide eyes exclaimed:

“You’re Batman?”

The night simply.Didn’t.Want.To.End.

“No.”

“He is.”

“Tim, what are you doing here?”

“Didn’t we just have this chat next to a gargoyle B?”

“Tim, you’re scaring him.”

“Excuse you, I am being a delight. “

“You’re BATMAN???”

Alright, one thing at a time. Bruce pinched his nose and breathed. Tim had a camera, Tim probably showed Jay proof already. No point in denial then.

“Yes, I’m Batman.”

Tim smiled crooked. “And the truth shall set you free.”

Jay looked at Bruce like he grew a third head. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before finally setting on: “You can’t be Batman! Batman is… He’s-You can’t even make the washin’ machine run!”

Tim chuckled.

“He is pretty useless as Bruce, not gonna lie.”

“Tim. Why.”

Tim shrugged. “The kid asked why I don’t just leave him here to take care of you.

I figured the truth was best.”

Wait, Jay had asked to stay?

“After all, Bruce is fine and all that, but Batman.” And just like that, Tim’s switch was flipped. From soft smiled to cold grins. ” Well, he has had enough toy soldiers, don’t you think? Doesn’t really know how to take care of them I’m afraid. Except, it seems that little trait is spilling over into Bruce now as well.”

Bruce felt like he had been knifed.

“Tim, I-“

“Save it Bruce. I didn’t bring him here for you. I thought I made the fact his stay was temporary perfectly clear. But then, I find out you just don’t understand how to take care of a kid without making him into a loyal little solider.” Tim’s glare was livid. His tone cold fury.

Tim snapped his fingers and something sprayed onto Bruce’s head from above. It knocked him out immediately.

When he woke up on the floor, a pillow under his head, both Tim and Jay were gone.

A note was left in his hand, Jason’s handwriting extremely familiar by then.

_Going out with Tim, be back later. Jay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the balance of three. Angst, fluff and plot.  
> \----------------------------------------  
> If I had a penny for every person that gave kudos I'd have enough to buy a taco and that means a lot to me.  
> \----------------------------------------  
> BTW, it is in fact Bruce's turn to pick a book so if you guys have suggestions my question is "What book would Bruce Wayne pick to read to a precious ten year old who's learning to write and likes fiction?"
> 
> Till next time-


	8. You can't have every wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim comes home, he doesn't stay long.

Tim couldn’t help the giggles that escaped his mouth as he ran through the alleys. He lost Batman a few corners back but the adrenaline was exhilarating, and he didn’t stop running till he reached one of his many warehouses.

Well, _his_ is a strong word. Technically, they belong to his _dear long lost buddy_ Alvin, since people don’t seem to like selling property to Arkham inmates.

Tim ran through the organized chaos and got to work. He checked himself for trackers on the way so that was done. Next came removing the makeup. He tied his chin length hair into a tail and rushed to rub out the white foundation. It was slow work. With every swipe of cotton another piece had to be used so he wouldn’t smear. He wondered if he could make a quick remover, he did make the foundation after all. Nothing market could ever hold out long while he jumped from roof to roof, so the strength of it was insane. It would also burn his skin if he left it on longer than 12 hours but that was just details.

Small silvery strips slowly showed themselves under the foundation. They were the biggest problem. The makeup got stuck in the grooves and it was hard to pull out. Luckily he didn’t have too many on his face. The most visible one was across his nose, and the needle thin one stretching from the left corner of his mouth up. The ugly jagged one peaked underneath his ear but disappeared behind his hair.

He hated them, hated hated hated.

He never used to care about scars, but that was because they were his. These weren’t his. These were Junior’s. Junior asked for them, Tim is the one living with them. As long as those scars exist all Tim will ever be to people is Junior. He told all this to Stephanie, one of those early weeks. She didn’t say much, but next time she came to visit she brought along her makeup bag.

Steph apparently decided to use her Bat Belt packing skills on her makeup bag because when she emptied it his room looked like a beauty pageant threw up over it. Unfortunately, her foundation ended up being too dark for Tim’s skin. The black hair dye she brought to cover Joker’s green one was removed too early. No amount of cover up could cover the scars correctly. He looked like a terrible photocopy of his old self.

It was the most human he felt in months.

He broke down in her arms that night. Sobbing about nothing, about everything. She stayed long after he fell asleep, humming something softly.

The first try was a terrible one, but Steph’s idea was a good one. He kept trying different shades to match his old skin tone, he started growing his hair out, even paid for a professional dye job. He was pretty excited to show Steph his progress. He just had to wait till her mob mission finished.

He didn’t get the chance.

_Leslie sent her and her mother to Africa Tim. To a coma expert she knows. I. There was nothing we could do for her here. I’m sorry._

Well, he found the right shade soon after that.

A quick change into jeans, a band t shirt and a blazer later, Tim grabbed a baseball cap and sunglasses. And so, Red Hood became Alvin Draper.

Alvin calls a cab and makes his way over to good old Drake Manor. He doesn’t stay, he instead travels the familiar path over to the Wayne fence, to a little security gap Tim left for himself long ago. After that came the tricky part. Which room was Jason in?

Tim was crossing out the less likely rooms in his head when a light turned on in one of the guest rooms. Well, it worked for him. He pulled out a grapple from his bag and sat on Jay’s window sill, knocking three times on the window lightly.

The figure in the room stopped moving around and came towards the window. Tim quickly went through possible scenarios. The kid would probably yell when he saw him, which would get Alfred to the room, shotgun in hand in about a minute and a half. Tim could break the window and grab the kid in one. Maybe he doesn’t need to. Alfred would let him talk to the kid, probably.

He also took the sunglasses off. Tim’s face was still pale, and the scars and eyes bags made him look dead but he figured a creep Jason didn’t know would scare the kid more.

Tim braced himself for the screaming when Jay’s face peaked through the heavy curtains, eyes wide and mouth set into a line.

The kid blinked owlishly at him once, twice, thrice.

Then he tilted his head to the side and said something but Tim couldn’t make out what so he shrugged. The kid smiled at him.

This wasn’t in the possible scenarios. Kids don’t smile at Tim Drake.

The kid bit the inside of his cheek after a moment and moved to unlatch the window.

“I said why didn’ you come in through the door. I thought you were a big owl.”

_Owls don’t tend to knock._

“I like surprising people.”

“At five in the mornin’? That’s not a s’prise that’s a crime against sleep.” To emphasize his point Jay rubbed his eye with a little fist.

Tim took the opportunity to look the kid over. He was wearing a pajama set about two sizes too big, dark red, soft and fresh. He hadn’t gained any weight but he looked less sickly, his skin gaining some color. Now that his hair was washed it turned out to be a mess of curls that fell over into little bangs across his forehead. His freckles were also a lot more noticeable on clean skin.

A much needed improvement. Bless Alfred.

“Well, that made it surprising. How have you been kiddo?”

Jay moved back towards his bed and climbed on top, wrapping the comforter around him in a little nest.

“Um, I’ve been…” He paused , scrunching his face before looking up at Tim and, honest to God, smiling at him again. It was a shy awkward thing.

“I’ve been good. It’s warm here. Alfie makes the best food, knows everythin’ about everythin’, shows me where all the stuff is.” He started slow. As he went on though, the words came quicker. ”Bruce is big and looks scary but he’s such a push over! I got him to read books to me and he didn’ even yell. No one yells here, it’s so weird. Like, the other day I broke a plate and all Bruce did was check if I cut myself. Like, he didn’ even make me clean up? I tried to and Alfie got upset I tried. The whole place looks haunted too, but it’s got the best library. Bruce said I could read anythin’. I don’t know why anyone would ever leave. This place has everythin’.”

Tim sat next to the bundle of blankets and listened intently. What a difference three weeks make. The kid sounded so excited. Like the whole thing was too good to be true. Living in a dream, and he wasn’t even aware of the basement.

“See kid, told you B would take care of you. We’ll even get you a real home soon and you won’t have to worry about anything ever again. Just leave it to Hood.“

Jay’s face fell at that. Going off script again then. Tim traced his words back. Did the kid still not want a permanent home?

“You need a home Jason. This is how you should always live.”

“Well yeah but um-“

“If Bruce told you something stupid don’t worry about it. I’ll find a place.”

“No, not Bruce it’s just. I was thinkin’, I don’t want a new home right? And you don’t want me out on the streets. But I’ve been here for a while and it isn’t half bad.”

“Exactly. Good foster homes exist, I promise.”

“So, why can’t I just stay here then?”

“No.”

Jason turned big hurt eyes on Tim quick.

“Why? You lived here, why can’t I? If you come back there’s enough rooms, you won’t even know I’m here, promise”

“Nope. Not here, it would make you miserable.”

“I just told you I like it here!”

“And in one year you’ll find it miserable. Don’t you think I know?”

“Liar.”

“Bruce isn’t cut out for the whole single parent thing Jason. You deserve a family. People to pay attention.”

“Bruce pays attention. He reads with me everyday, eats dinner with me everyday. He even took me to the park. I don’ know what you think but that’s more than any parent’s ever given me. I’ll take it.”

Tim sighed. So Batman took a break then. Joy.

How does one explain to a small child that his new normal was abnormal?

“It won’t last. He works all day and goes out every night. You’ll barely see him, trust me. He just took a break.”

“Yeah, he told me. Alfie will still be here. Look, I can help! I’ve been helpin’, you just have to see him. ”

“See what?”

Jason grinned.

“Well, I figured I’d repay you for findin’ this place. And your old man is really sad that you’re not here so I’ve been distractin’ ‘im. I’ll make sure he doesn’t do somethin’ stupid like my mom did, and you can come visit whenever. “

Tim blinked. Slowly.

_His old man? Ohhh, he means Bruce._

_Bruce is sad I’m not there?_

What have they been telling the kid? Bruce couldn’t wait for the kid ward to be built so Tim would be shipped off. Hell, they probably wanted Tim gone before Joker even took him. He didn’t cause the rift between Damian and Bruce but he was pretty much the nuke that dropped on any remaining bridge. He wasn’t blood, he wasn’t even a family friend. Just the neighbor’s kid that never left.

So, if Tim understood correctly, Jason, a ten year old kid, picked up on Bruce’s always present trauma, and remembering his mother suffered mentally as well, decided to become Bruce’s emotional distraction project.

Bruce, unable to ever tell a kid with big eyes no, lets Jason pester him, convincing the kid he’s great parent material. Jason gets attached and Bruce doesn’t realize he made Tim’s job ten times harder.

Joy.

Unless he did know what he was doing. Testing Jay’s potential as a sidekick. Gauging if the kid could be trained.

That one made Tim’s blood boil.

“That’s very sweet of you Jason, but Bruce’s problems are way more complicated. You can’t help him.”

“You haven’t even talked with ‘im! He’s been waitin’ forever for you. Just ask ‘im and he’ll tell you I’ve been helpin’.”

Tim sighed. He can’t let Jay stay. He already cares about Bruce, and that is step one to putting on a mask. The kid needs to be disillusioned, but luckily Jason isn’t Tim. Tim thought being Batman was the best thing ever, Jason thinks Bruce Wayne is the best thing ever. If he proves Bruce won’t be around, for a valid reason, the kid will probably back off.

Tim got up and patted Jay on the head before quickly darting into his old room. He didn’t think about it, he just entered. The room was exactly how he left it. A shiver shook Tim’s whole spine. His eyes darted to the closet and he forced himself not to look at all the things he hadn’t seen in a year. Especially the photos.

His old shoebox was exactly where he left it, and his dearest childhood companion along with it. The camera was a familiar weight in his hands and it made something settle in his chest.

_Don’t look, don’t look, nope, nothing to see_

He left the room quicker than he went in and darted back to Jason’s. He was running out of time. Just in case, he grabbed a little device from his pocket and placed it above Jason’s door. Knock-knock out gas, a Joker classic. With a little addition from Tim’s own formula.

He sat next to the kid and in the most serious expression he could muster said four words he swore he’d never tell anyone.

“Bruce Wayne is Batman.”

Jason looked stunned for half a second before he laughed out loud.

“Right, and you moonlight as Wonder Woman. I remember.”

“When I was 5 I liked walking around my property fence. I lived next door. One day I was walking around when I saw Bruce Wayne’s newly found son waving a katana around. Except, he wasn’t playing with it, he was practicing. The same move, again and again. I couldn’t look away, it looked like a dance and a fight at once. Cue four years later, I’m nine and by accident get a look at Batman and Black Bat fighting side by side. And then Black Bat does that one move. Exactly like I remember it. I started following them then. I got a camera to document things. I spent the next three years following Gotham’s Dark Duo around every possible rooftop. “

Jason leaned his head on his hand and listened to Tim’s story intently.

“You really need to go into television Hood.”

“It took me two nights to make absolute sure Bruce Wayne and his son were our vigilantes. “

Tim handed him the camera. The first few pictures were action shots. Batman and BB flying through the air, punching bad guys, running across rooftops. Then one of BB leaning on Batman because of a bleeding leg. One of Batman and Commish.

“Wow, you were crazy long before the whole clown thing huh?”

Tim laughed. “I was reckless. And star eyed. Maybe slightly insane, who knows. Anywho, switch to the other folder. Those are from when I became Robin.”

Jason turned wide eyes on Tim.

“You were Robin? “

“Yup.”

“Remember-to-eat-three-meals-a-day-smoking-is-bad-for-you-angel-who-can-do-no-wrong Robin?”

“Yep.”

“I’ve met ‘im. You would have known me then.”

“I never met a Jason Todd.”

Jay snorted. “ _Robin_ caught me smokin’ outside my apartment. Took my pack and replaced it with a _lollipop_. You almost had me there Hood, but even I ain’t that stupid.”

Tim mentally added cigars to his list of headaches and moved passed.

“I met a lot of kids. Unfortunately, kids who smoke aren’t uncommon in the Alley. Sorry.”

Jay shrugged. “Still bullshit but no problem. How do I switch the folder thingy?”

Tim leaned over and showed Jay what buttons he needs to press. Jay didn’t flinch away or stiffen, and Tim felt himself relax a bit knowing the kid really wasn’t scared.

“Those are in the cave. Underneath the house. That’s Bruce. In costume, sans mask. Can’t get more specific than that”

Jay looked at the picture for a good five minutes. His eyes slowly got wider, going from skeptical glare to unbelieving stare.

“No fucking way.”

“Language.”

“He isn’t…he can’t be..”

And speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Bruce opened Jay’s door. Jay’s head turned to him.

“You’re Batman?”

Oh, Brucie wasn’t expecting that. Tim shouldn’t be enjoying this _too_ much.

“No.”

“He is.”

“Tim, what are you doing here?”

“Didn’t we just have this chat next to a gargoyle B?”

“Tim, you’re scaring him.”

Tim raised an eyebrow. Oh he’s scaring someone, just not the kid.

“Excuse you, I am being a delight. “

“You’re BATMAN???”

Bruce sighed and pinched his nose. Tim could hear the gears in his head, gears that were absolutely ready to rest for 6-8 hours, start up again. He dropped the façade.

“Yes, I’m Batman.”

“And the truth shall set you free.”

Jay looked like Superman just came in wearing a turkey costume. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before finally setting on: “You can’t be Batman! Batman is… He’s-You can’t even make the washin’ machine run!”

Tim hid his smile behind the camera. To be fair Tim didn’t know either but the kid didn’t need to know that.

“He is pretty useless as Bruce, not gonna lie.”

“Tim. Why.”

Tim shrugged. “The kid asked why I don’t just leave him here to take care of you. “

Tim kept thumbing through the old album. A picture of Bruce leaning over Tim’s shoulder, showing him how to run the computer popped up. Tim remembers how it felt, thinking Bruce cared and would always be there. It wasn’t fair to little Tim, having that ripped away from him. He wasn’t letting the kid go through the same.

“I figured the truth was best. After all, Bruce is fine and all that, but Batman…Well, he has had enough toy soldiers, don’t you think? Doesn’t really know how to take care of them I’m afraid. Except, it seems that little trait is spilling over into Bruce now as well.”

Bruce actually looked offended by that one. Well, someone has to tell him the truth. Jason isn’t the only one in need of disillusionment.

“Tim, I-“

“Save it Bruce. I didn’t bring him here for you. I thought I made the fact his stay was temporary perfectly clear. But then, I find out you just don’t understand how to take care of a kid without making him into a loyal little solider.”

_How do you have everyone attach to you like magnets? You said you didn’t understand people._

Bruce was looking at him, looking sadder than Tim could remember in a long time. He couldn’t look back at it, Batman was one thing but. Well, Bruce was never part of Joker’s brainwashing campaign. His dad was still his dad, and Tim needed to stop him before he hurt another kid and himself.

Tim snapped his fingers twice and the device released the knock out gas. Bruce went out like a light.

In hindsight Tim probably should have warned the kid.

Jason jumped up with a shout and ran to Bruce’s side to check for…a pulse? Well, that’s fair Tim supposed.

“What did you do?”

“He’s fine kid, no need to call the cavalry. Just some sleep gas. I doubt he would have let us leave otherwise.”

Ahhh, there’s the angry glare Tim was expecting. Except it looked worse now, maybe because Tim knew he was the cause.

“He could have hit his head!”

Tim blinked.

“Kid, even half knocked out he protected his head. Look. He trained for that. Hell, he trained me for that.”

Tim was right of course but the chipmunk didn’t stop glaring. Jay went over to his bed and grabbed a pillow before walking back and pushing it under Bruce’s head.

“You can be a real jerk. He wanted to see ‘ya.”

“Hmm, well not today. Today, we are going parent window shopping. And I’m going to introduce you to the wonders of 77 different ice cream flavors.”

Jason bit the inside of his cheek again.

“Why?”

“There’s never enough ice cream flavors.”

“No I mean…Why do you care so much ‘bout me? I don’ get it.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. Robin liked helping kids. Might be some left over instinct.”

“Oh.”

_No, no, no, don’t get sad that’s not in the script._

Jay smiled but it looked strained. “That makes more sense. Bruce um, he said it’s cause you liked me or something stupid. I figured he was wrong.”

_Oh. Ohhhh._

“I do like you Jason. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“But you just said-“

“I run into street kids every night. You’re the only one I brought here. Special treatment only goes to special kids. "

The kid didn't seem to buy it.

"Special? I'm just a street rat."

"Nope, you’re…”,think Drake,think,”Little Red.”

“Little Red?”

“Yeah. Do you know how many people are brave enough to tell me I'm wrong or stupid? I used to be the smart mouth. So, how about a deal. I make the plans, you call them stupid. Deal?”

Jay bit his lip and his checks went a bit rosy. He nodded.

“Fine. But you have to talk with him later. That was a stupid thing to do. How are we getting out anyway?”

Now that Tim could feel himself smiling over.

“I’ve got a ride.”

And Tim knew the kid would like it. After Jay got dressed and left Bruce a quick note, which was sort of adorable(was he ever that protective?), Tim led him to Wayne manors greatest secret.

The Batcave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllllll, that ended up being longer than usual. Whoops.  
> I don't know what happened. One second I'm writing a continuation of the previous chapter, next second it's a different perspective.  
> It was an accident officer, I promise.  
> \---------------------------------  
> Till next time~


	9. What/Your are/flight wishes/is good/my for/wish

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAH, THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!”

Tim grinned at Jay’s screaming as the Redbird sped down the road around Gotham’s outskirts. Was it the most direct route? No. But after Jay practically hugged the bike after he saw it in the cave Tim figured they have enough time.

_What kinda bike IS that?_

_Mine. Custom made. I call her the Redbird._

_Can I ride it? Please, please, pleaseeeee-_

_Nope. You can ride with me though._

_Deal!_

Ironically, out of the entire Batcave it was the cars and bikes that mesmerized the kid the most. Not the extremely pointy weapons, not the suit collection, not even the wall length super computer. It was the cars. Though, he did like the secret entrance.

_That jerk! He lied to me! He said he didn’t have a magic wardrobe._

_This is a clock kid._

_Same thing, old piece of furniture leads to secret cool place. No fair! Rich old people have the best things._

They made their way down with Jason muttering about rich bastards. Tim figured now was the best time for the grand tour.

_On your right you see the Giant Penny! Great for rolling, terrible for coin flips._

_To your left you see a collection of kites. They do in fact, fly._

_In front of us we have a T-Rex. Do not feed after midnight._

_Any questions from the audience?_

_What’s with the freaky Robin suit in the light?_

_Ah, that would be Bruce’s way of saying: “Well kid, you may have become a murderer but I still like you. As long as there’s cell bars between us.”_

_Huh. That sucks. You don’t- IS THAT THE BATMOBILE?_

The drive took them over Brown Bridge, and Jason kept swerving his head everywhere to take in the sights. Safety first, so the kid sat in front and he got one of Tim’s old helmets. It was too big. To turn his head Jay had to turn his whole upper body. Tim didn’t mind at first, but the further they drove the more bouncy the kid got, which made driving a nightmare.

“Jay”, Tim muttered into his helmet communicator, “I know you’re fighting those chipmunk instincts but I really need you to settle down. If you don’t-” Tim quickly released one of the handlebars and straightened Jason’s head forward.”- we might both end up in the river.”

“Can you go faster?”

“Did you hear what I-don’t touch that!”

Alright, he’s choosing the car next time.

The camouflaged Redbird drove into town and stopped in the Old Gotham Area, where the gargoyles were many and the crime was lesser. The architecture was at its most dark and pointy there, inviting most tourists for photos and souvenirs. 

With a bit of luck the two boys would blend right in.

Tim grabbed Jay’s hand and helped him off the bike before ushering the two into the early morning bustle of people.

“Alright Jason, do you know who I am?”

“Um-did you hit your head or somethin’ Red?”

“Nope. Just wanted to introduce myself. From this point forward if anyone asks I’m your big brother Alvin who took you out for ice cream. Deal?”

“Alvin? That’s such a lame name. Why can’t you be something cool, like Brutus. or Mike.”

“Mike?”

“Better than Alvin.”

“Touché. Still, it’s what’s on my ID so.”

Jay gave him a raised eyebrow.

“Fine, I’ll let you pick the fake name next time. Now, back to business. Come on.”

Tim dragged Jay down the streets until they ran into an old style ice cream shop. A large neon sign above the door.

_77 Wishes_

“It’s a double pun”, Tim explained when he saw Jay looking, “They have 77 flavors throughout the year but they’re also located on 77th street. “

Jason hummed in acknowledgment, staring at all the bright colors of the flavors.

They sat down and ordered, Tim getting a mix of sweet and sour and Jay picking a single scoop of Neapolitan.

“Alright Jason, I have a mission for you.”

The kid straightened in his seat and looked Tim directly in the eye.

“Look at the people in the shop. Tell me who you think looks happy.”

Jason was taken aback by the strange offer. After he realized Tim wasn’t going to elaborate he started looking at the other patrons.

The inside of the ice cream shop looked like an old style 50s shop, bright orange everywhere. There were three other little groups seated in the large couch seats. The first was a family of three, a mom, a dad and a little girl. The little girl was blabbering about something, ice cream smeared all around her face. The mom was trying to clean her up but she didn’t get far with the dad egging the girl on to eat more of it. The mom seemed annoyed but Jay could tell she was faking it. They were having fun.

In the far corner of the shop, there was a dad and a little boy, around Jay’s age. The dad was showing the kid something in his picture book, explaining quietly while the kid listened with big eyes. They were both smiling softly.

Closest to Jay and Tim sat a family of four. A teenage girl, a mom a dad and a stroller holding a baby in blue blankets. The girl was drumming to something she listened to on her phone, ignoring her parents as they lovingly bumped each other’s shoulder laughing about something. The baby slept away the early morning.

Jay checked to make sure but he really only had one answer.

“All of ‘em look happy.”

“I’d hope so. All of them won the Family Eats Free contest so they have today completely check free here. “

“What’s that got to do with anythin’?”

“Well, I wanted to show you something and I figured inviting everyone to one place was easier. See that family of four? Those are the Earls. They just recently adopted a bundle of joy in blue. The Lions in the far corner are single father Will and his newly adopted son Frankie. Last but not least are the Goodwins, with their-“

“Let me guess, newly adopted daughter.”

“I was going to say little angel but sure, that works. Anyway, all those kids were alone like you. Now, tell me. Out of all the families which one looks happiest?”

Jason’s eyebrow’s scrunched together.

His eyes scanned the families again but this time he hyper focused on the little things.

The Earls were continuing their conversation till the baby started waking up. Immediately the parents started fussing around the baby. The teenage daughter looked on the three of them but she wasn’t drumming anymore, her shoulders seemed a bit more slumped, her ice cream only half eaten.

The father and son in the corner were still talking, but Jay only noticed one new thing. The father had bags under his eyes and his movements seemed tired. Still, his smile was genuine. The closer Jay looked at the two the more something tightened in Jay’s throat, an image of his mom creeping up on him. He turned to the last family quickly, trying to focus on them but his breathing was making that a bit too hard. Tim was still waiting for an answer. He’d have to risk it then.

“The family of three.”

“Oh, why them?”

“They just are.”

“That’s not the rules Little Red, come on.”

Jay gulped, shaking the strange feeling away.

“The big family with the baby isn’t payin’ enough attention to the teen. Or, at least she seems sad they like the kid more than her. They haven’t really tried talkin’ to her since we sat down.”

Tim hummed in acknowledgment, pulling out a smartphone and typing something on it.

“Keep going.”

“Um. The Dad and kid are fine but. It won’t last.”

“Hmm?”

“He just got the kid and he’s already dead on his feet. Put one drink in ‘in and I bet you five bucks he won’ be smilin’ at the brat.”

Tim flickered his eyes to Jay but he kept typing for a bit.

“I don’t think so.”

Jay bit his cheek. If Tim didn't want to listen why did he ask.

“Mr. Will recently lost his wife. They both wanted a child for years but it took them years to get approved for adoption. They barely had Frankie for a month when the wife ended up on the wrong side of a mugging down in the Bowery. She was the one that Frankie got attached to the most. Since then Will has been trying to understand the son his wife lived for, and work at the same time. “

During it all Tim didn’t stop looking at his phone screen. The tight feeling in Jay’s throat traveled down to his stomach.

“Mr. Will has no history of drinking and since his wife’s death he’s even given up smoking since he spends so much time with the kid. He’s under a lot of pressure, it’s true. But not all single parents break Jason. Your case was different.”

Jason snapped up, his shoulders rising to his ears.

“What do you mean my case?”

“Hmm, we’re going off topic. What about the last ones?”

“You can’ jus'-What do you mean?”

Tim sighed. “Well, your mom was a single parent.”

“No she wasn’. I have an ol’ man.”

“Was he around?”

“He came ‘round. Usually when mom got a paycheck.“

“Where is he now?”

“The fuck do I know. Haven’t seen him since before mom died.”

Tim hummed again. The phone screen illuminating the bland look on his face.

“What about the last family?”

Jason was still annoyed with Tim but he answered. “They seem fine. Everyone is happy, no one seems tired or mad.”

In truth it was more, but something Jay couldn’t put into words. The warmth the three seemed to radiate was joyful enough to make Jay smile just looking at them. They were enough for each other. Nothing else was needed to make them happy.

“I see.”

Tim finally turned his phone off and went to pay leaving Jay to try and think over what Tim’s strange questions meant. In the end, the best he could come up with was that insane people were probably like that sometimes.

They left 77 wishes quietly.

Until someone cut them off.

“Oy, look out where you’re going Jenny!”

Four kids on skateboards flew in front of them out of nowhere.

“Sorry mister!” yelled the one at the front, presumably Jenny. Tim had grabbed Jason’s shoulder just before the four appeared in front of them. In a blink of an eye they were gone.

“Someone would have shot ‘em for that in the alley.” Jay tried to get his heart to calm down.

“They’re skateboarders, they would probably see it as a challenge.”

“What’s that stupid toy got to do with it?”

Tim suddenly stopped and turned Jay by his shoulder so he could look him in the eye.

“Skateboarding is an art form Little Red, I will not have such blasphemy spat on holy ground.”

“Blasphemy?”

Tim pressed his pointer finger into the little grooves on Jay’s forehead.

“Sinful lies. Skateboarding is the one true way to get around this city. “

“Yeah, and runin’ into people is just the fun side.”

“Exactly!" Tim spread his arms wide, gesturing to the surroundings. "This old place was built for moody art projects and tight spaces. Turns out a lot of the old fancy fountains make great skateboarding material.”

“And you know this because?”

“Oh Little Red, I was the king.”

Jay blinked up at him twice.

“I was the East coast regional Junior champ.”

“…Good for you?”

“You have no idea what that is, do you.”

“I just don’t get why a plank with four wheels is so cool.”

And well, Tim took that personally.

That’s how Tim dragged Jay after the four kids that nearly ran them over. The trail of disgruntled sidewalk passerby’s led them to a defunct fountain shaped like a huge bowl. In it, the kids were using the cracked basin to do some basic tricks. One kid rode from the edge on one side and flipped on the other side by basically doing a one handed handstand.

“You know, I knew a kid who could smoke upside down doin’ a handstand.”

“That’s…great.”

After a few moments Tim ran up to the kids clustered at the edge. He gestured something wildly, pointed to Jay, said something. The other kids chuckled at whatever it was. One of the girls handed her skateboard to Tim and Tim ran back to Jay grinning.

“Well little Red, I just bet Jenny fifty bucks I could do two 540s from one edge to the other and finish with a Rodeo flip. “

Jay blinked up at him twice.

“Oh, just watch you chipmunk.”

And watch Jay did. Tim first seemed to ride a bit around the fountain, jumping around randomly. On one jump he went higher, flipping the board around and then stopping another turn with his foot before landing back down on it. Jay could barely see what happened but the skater dudes seemed to like it. Some of them started cheering on.

Then, Tim dove into the pool.

Up and down, then around, gaining speed with every push. Jay watched wide eyed as Tim didn’t even seem affected by the speed. Then, he started jumping. Flying. Every time he reached the edge he did something different, that handstand thing from before, a cool flip or a skate board kick. Jay could tell Tim liked it though. Every time some of the teens cheered he had that crooked smile on. At one point he looked over at Jay sitting slack jawed and took his hat off, throwing it at Jay. It, of course, landed perfectly on Jay’s head. He grinned at the kid, his green hair wildly flying with him.

That was apparently the signal for the last trick. He again went from edge to edge but there were no tricks now, he just gained more and more speed.

Then, when he looked like a blur to Jay, he went up to one edge and completely rotated on it, perfectly landing back, rushing to the other edge, jumping, rotating again then grabbing the board and flipping himself over the edge, landing perfectly on the other side.

The skateboard dudes went wild. The one that gave Tim the skateboard, Jenny, screamed the loudest. Tim waved at them as he slowly wheeled over to Jason.

“How’s that for a plank with four wheels?”

Jay stared up at him wide eyed. He whispered, seemingly unaware:

“That was fucking awesome.”

“Ah, another one converted to the religion. I feel proud.”

“You looked like you were flyin’!”

Tim smiled softly down at Jay. He grabbed his hat back and ruffled the kid's hair.

“It feels like flying.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to anyone who ever actually stood on a skateboard! I researched but I know this is probably grossly inaccurate. If it's too awful, or if you don't know skateboarding, just replace all the details with *insert cool skate trick here*.
> 
> \--------------------  
> If anyone's confused with my chapter titling, depending on the POV the first word always changes. Since this is the first time we have a shared chapter we have two titles  
> What are wishes good for - Jason  
> Your flight is my wish - Tim  
> \--------------------  
> As always, comments are highly appreciated!  
> Till next time-


	10. You seem different / When views differ

“Oh come on Jay-“

“No.”

“Please? I promise you’ll love it.”

“No. I’m not getting on that thing again, it’s a deathtrap.”

“You fell off once Jay.”

“Yeah, well, smart people don’t need to check twice.”

“Yes, but they do so anyway. That’s why they’re smart.”

“I don’ care. I’ve got two legs why should I replace them with a plank. Not doing it, no way.”

Tim sighed. They had been doing so well. Jay asked if Tim could show him how to skateboard, all star-eyed and amazed and well. Tim may have gotten a bit excited at the idea of teaching someone. That’s probably why he forgot to ask Jason if he ever did anything that required balance. Whoops.

Well, the kid was fine anyway. Barely a scratch and Tim knew it wasn’t fear getting to the kid. It was embarrassment. Tim did chuckle a bit when Jay fell, but the older kids found it adorably hilarious. Like a video of a kitten trying to walk up a stair and falling flat on its face.

Apparently, ten year olds don’t like being laughed at.

“It’s a sport Jay. You’re not doing it right unless there’s a dent in the floor from all the times you fell.”

Jason crossed his arms and glared at Tim, his cheeks puffing up a bit. “Why are you so fuckin’ stubborn- I don’ wanna be here anymore, let’s just go.”

The girl that had loaned Tim her skateboard walked up towards the two of them, waving a hello.

“Oh don’t be so sour little dude. It’s your first time on a board yeah?”

Jason’s annoyance with Tim became unimportant with her arrival. He shifted half a step closer to Tim, his face clean of any of the emotions that were there a second ago, replaced with blank defensiveness. Jay just shrugged at her question.

“Yeah, figured. Don’t worry ‘bout it we were all newbies once. I broke two fingers my first month.” She pointed to her left hand and a slightly crooked finger.

Jason didn’t move closer but he did lean a bit forward to look at it. He chewed his lip a bit before asking: “Did it hurt?”

“Oh yeah, totally. My mom had a complete hissy fit, I thought they would have to remove ‘em, it was bonkers. I was tryin’ to do this-“

As the girl talked Tim tuned her tales of tricks and fails out. They were stories he had heard a lot as a beginner, but Jay was definitely interested. The longer she talked the more the kid let his shoulders slump down, his face becoming less blank and more focused. He cringed in sympathy when she talked about her broken leg and grined at her boyfriend taping her skateboard together after she had smashed the thing in two.

Tim found himself smiling as well. Jenny was calming the kid down far better than Tim was.

Her little friend group moved back to doing tricks in the basin, not caring about them anymore. Tim was looking around when he noticed one guy wasn’t participating. Instead he was staring straight at Tim, wide eyed. With a phone in his hand. Tim would bet good money a breaking news article on how Tim Drake escaped Arkham again just popped up on that phone.

_Well, green hair is pretty specific, isn’t it Drake?_

Tim calmly put a hand on Jay’s shoulder and the kid looked up quick, broken out of his focus.

“Time to go Jay.”

“But- she was gonna-“

“Another time.” He quickly gave Jenny her skateboard back and started pushing Jason towards the main street.

“See you later guys, don’t run anyone over!”

“Hey wait! I still-“ Jenny yelled but they were gone by the time she turned the corner after them.

“I still owe you fifty though.”

Tim tugged Jason through the street with precision. The less they bump into people the less they stop them. Jason figured out something was wrong after the first corner and didn’t say anything, focusing on keeping up with Tim’s pace as much as his short legs would allow. Thanks to that they made it to Tim’s safehouse in record time.

This one was a closed camera shop, tucked away in a side alley. The windows and door were boarded up to anyone who wasn’t Tim. He pressed his hand to a random couple of bricks and the boarded panels shifted. They created an opening large enough for Tim, but too small for someone of Bruce’s or Damian’s build.

A few more scans and traps later Tim finally turned on the light and waved his hands around.

“Welcome to the Red Mansion kiddo. We live in only the highest lap of luxury. “

The single light bulb hanging above his head started to flicker.

“Don’t let the mood lighting fool you, this place is homey.”

Jay brushed a hand through his hair trying to remove all the cobwebs that got stuck in it. He grinned at Tim.

“I thought you rich kids didn’t enter a place unless it had wine flowin’ through the tap.”

“This place is better. Look.”

Tim came up to Jay and grabbed him by the middle, picking him up easily and placing him on Tim’s shoulders. Jay started to protest but Tim cut him off loudly.

“Can’t have you aggravating that serious injury you got from skateboarding now, can we?” And with that they were off.

The whole floor was more of an apartment. Open plan, a small kitchen, a large living room that had a couch, a table, a sofa and nothing more. The rest of the space was filled with boxes. Boxes everywhere, each one labeled something different, ranging from “clothes” to “Monday explosives”.

Tim first took Jay to the living room, the kid hugging the top of his head as to not fall off.

“This is our main area. Very minimalist, as is the trend. Our most famous guest, Queen Elizabeth herself, used that couch. She said it’s great for the back.”

Tim couldn’t see Jayson’s face but he could hear him snort.

“Over here-“, and they took five steps to the right,“We have our main kitchen dining hall fusion. Very effective, designed by the top of Swedish architects to fit the aesthetic. The food is of course, top of the line canned food. We also have a variety of coffee ranging from bitter to black. “

“I don’t like coffee.”

“Ah, to be so young. “ Tim placed a hand to his chest. “I remember having taste buds.” Wiping a fake tear from his eye, Tim took Jay to a short hallway that had a staircase and a door. The door held a bedroom. Or, well, it held something like a bedroom. There was stuff everywhere. Clothes, laptops, coffee cups and energy drink cans. Underneath it all was a bed. Probably.

“Do forgive us for the mess sir. Our cleaning lady took the week off.”

“Alfred would kill you if he saw this.”

“Alfred _is_ the cleaning lady. He just doesn’t know it.”

That got him another snort.

And that left the staircase. Which Tim eyed a bit and decided to take the fast route.

“Hold on tight kid.”

“Wait wha-No, don’t you dare!”

But it was too late, Tim had already sat on the railing and took off. Tim laughed, Jay screamed and held on to Tim’s head for dear life. It was a long staircase. Once they got down and Jay released his death grip on Tim, he immediately started pounding Tim’s head with little angry fists.

“ _Crazy ass stupid bastard I’ll fuckin kill you_ -“

“I’ll pencil it in after the tour. Now, moving on!”

And Tim took off again knowing Jay would have to hold on again.

“And this is the lab! Our top scientist says it’s the best work place he’s ever had.”

“Who’s your top-“

“Me.”

“You work for yourself?”

“I know it sounds strange but you wouldn’t believe the stuff my boss lets me get away with. Anyway, this place is for Red Hoods, not Little Reds. I lock the place down when I’m not here so don’t come poking around or else you might become a little red splat.”

“Is it as cool as the Batcave?”

“There’s a big computer?”

“That sucks.”

“Everyone’s a critic.”

And with that he plopped the kid off of his shoulder and down on the ground.

“And with that we end the tour! We’ve got some time before your cavalry arrives so what do you say to a can of tuna and a bottle of whatever I can find that isn’t caffeine?”

The kid shrugged and then remembered something so he turned up to glare at Tim. Tim raised his eyebrows at the glare and then Jason kicked him in the shin. Hard. Tim _didn’t_ yelp. He _didn’t, he swears._

“That’s for the stairs.” The chipmunk huffed and went away.

By the time Tim regained his dignity enough to get back upstairs Jason had made himself at home. He used one of the boxes to prop his legs up and helped himself to the tuna. He was also more or less ignoring Tim.

Tim sat next to him and pulled out his phone. Sure enough there were articles of his escape. Now was about a good time as any. He scrolled through his contacts list for a while until finally coming across Gordon. He pushed call and channeled as much Junior as he could allow.

“Commissioner! You’re looking for little ol’ me? I’m flattered but you don’t need to worry. I’m having my cell fumed for termites and I had to relocate for a while. You understand don’t you?”

“Timothy. Do we have to do this every time kid?”

“Well no. But you insist on looking for me every time, I think It might be you with the issue Commish.”

Beside him Jay raised his eyebrows in amusement.

“Well anyway I’m calling to report a person in need.”

A weary sigh came across the phone. Tim could see the Commish pinching the bridge of his nose in his mind.

“What?”

“I found a stray child! Well, he might be a chipmunk in disguise but I think he’s human.” He ignored the elbow Jay pushed into his gut. ”Anyway I want you to pick him up. Can’t babysit I’m afraid, too busy with those termites.”

“…You kidnapped a child?”

“I _found_ a child.”

“Is the child alright?”

“He has an attitude problem but beyond that he’s right as rain! He’ll be in front of the station in two hours. See ya later Commish!”

“Wait, Timo-“

Click.

Tim started scrolling through for his next contact when he felt something shake his arm. Jason was biting his lip again, his brow furrowed.

“You’re leavin’ me to the police? But. What about CPS? They’ll take me away.”

Tim used his free hand to pat Jay on the head twice

“Don’t worry Little Red. Let Hood handle the bureaucratic process, kay? You’ll be back to the mansion in no time. This is all a…necessary step towards your new family.”

And for whatever reason that calmed the kid down. Tim really hoped Jason was only this trusting with him and not any rouge because that would just be trouble.

The next contact was saved under Demon. It rang only once.

“Hello, is this Hell? I’d like to speak with the manager please.”

“Drake. Return the child at once.”

“Oh? I’m surprised. Don’t tell me Bruce actually called for help.”

“Yes Drake, you have once again successfully made Father swallow his pride. Now, if you’re pleased with yourself return the child before I start looking through all means necessary.”

Translation, before Nightwing suited up and called up his Super friends.

“Will do! Make your way over to Gordon in two and a half hours to receive your request.”

“Two and a half hours?! What are you planning Drake?”

“Oh, the time isn’t for me. It’s for you. I recommend you call up your college buddies over at CPS and find someone who will help you out Damian. Someone willing to botch up some papers, assign kids temporary housing till they’re placed in permanent homes. That type of buddy.”

“Drake. Are you saying all of this was for Jason to not be returned to the foster system?”

“My, my, it’s like your father’s a detective.”

“None of this was necessary!”

“Of course it was! I wanted ice cream.”

“What?”

“Bye bye Damian.”

Click.

“Well, that’s that.”

“You think it’ll work?”

“Oh, it will. Damian has enough blackmail and power over people to botch a hundred kid’s papers. I believe that little tick he inherited from his mother’s side of the family.”

“But why would he? If he doesn’t like us.”

“He doesn’t like me. He likes feeling superior however. Especially over his father, and doing this for Bruce is enough incentive. Believe me. Three hours from now Alfred will be smothering you in British politeness and Bruce will be hovering like crazy.”

Jason hummed and went to wash his dish in the kitchen. By the time he got back his doubts seemed to be gone. He pulled himself onto the couch, letting his head drop onto the cushion, eyes drooping down a little. Tim had a few activates planned to keep them occupied for the next hour but a nap would probably do the kid good. He did wake him up at five.

He grabbed Jason a quilt from one of the boxes titled Alfred, and left the room quietly.

Tim bought the place early in his stint as Hood. He wanted something a bit more homey than his other safe houses, and this one also had a special feature. It was directly above a drier part of Gotham’s sewer. Tim made his basement a lot bigger thanks to that little fact. It was also how he got Jason exactly one block away from the Police Station without anyone noticing or seeing them. Punctual as always.

“Well kid, this is your stop. Go up the ladder and just walk to the station. Commish will do the rest.”

“What-”, Jason yawned, ”what if it dosen’ work? What if they send me to the foster homes again?”

“Well, it won’t. But, if you truly believe so little in me- Do you know where the ice cream shop is?”

Jay’s drowsy state made him look even more confused. “Yeah. 77th street. Cause of the name.”

“Yep. Do you know how to get to the photo place from there?”

Jay nodded.

“Good. Do exactly that and place your hand on that panel I used. It’ll let you in.”

“It will?”

“Yup. I programmed your hand print in it while you were in dreamland. You know where everything is, I’ll come pick you up as soon as I can.”

The kid searched Tim’s face for a good minute. He looked so worried but Tim could see a shine enter the kids eyes. He wanted it to be true, but he was scared. No one ever held up their end of the deal for Jason. Tim knew what a broken promises felt like. He saw the look of desperate hope on Jay’s face every time mom said they were coming home.

But for now all he could do was pick the kid up and help him up the ladder.

The kid grabbed the ladder but he didn’t go up.

He stared at Tim before nodding, taking a deep breath, and going up. Tim started backing away, but he was close enough to hear the soft thank you that echoed off the tunnels after Jay sent it his way.

Tim could only wave in response. 

When Damian finally managed to get all the papers straight he realized Tim’s calculation had been precise.

It took two hours to make everything look good and half an hour for Damian to show up at the station. Gordon wanted answers, but Damian didn’t really have any, beyond Timothy being a sadist who liked making Damian’s life complicated.

Still, Damian listened as the man complained about procedure and politics. They both knew Damian was leaving with the child, but Gordon knew something wasn’t exactly correct. It wasn’t important.

The child in question was outside of the office, talking to the Commissioner’s daughter. Gordon had apparently asked her to keep the boy occupied while he chewed Damian out for nothing and everything. It was rather amusing, since the boy kept trying to get away from her but she stubbornly kept talking at him.

All in all, by the time they were allowed to leave both boys were beyond ready to go home. Jason to sleep and Damian to present his father with some interesting temporary guardianship papers that held his signature. Not that Bruce would remember signing them.

He supposed he might as well pay Alfred a visit while he’s there.

While on one side of the city Bruce Wayne hugged a very tired Jason out of relief, on the other Timothy Drake scrolled down his contacts one more time for the evening. He stopped at the Goodwin name and waited, and waited till someone finally picked up.

“Hello? Is this Mister Goodwin? Yes, hello my name is Henry, I work with CPS.

I’m afraid I have some bad news about your daughter Emily.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that we end Jason and Tim's Bizarre Adventure around Gotham.  
> Finally, pulling some threads together. It *only* took 10 chapters.  
> \----------------------------  
> BTW, completely unrelated  
> Can someone tell me why Superman wasn't there to stop Jason from dying but he was there to save Joker from Batman? It's like, a few pages apart timeline wise.
> 
> I mean, I know the reason is cause they wanted Jason dead, but like, in universe.  
> What I'm trying to say is: Let's start a "Superman was evil all along" theory.  
> \----------------------------  
> Till next time-


	11. When I look back

Mother told him once that instilling fear into enemies was the fastest way to make allies.

A similar insight to the ‘enemy of my enemy’ type of mindset. The idea that those who defeat your enemies are those who are loyal to you was how Damian operated for a long time.

Loyalty was earned by choosing sides and sticking to them. One or the other, never both. Even family. Especially family.

With that train of thought Damian should see Jason as a worrying threat.

“Jason, Tim needs help. We need to bring him back to Arkham so his therapy can continue. Please just-"

“I ain’t a snitch, and I’m not tellin’.”

This little back and forth had been going on for ten minutes. Bruce was getting desperate, Damian could tell. He had offered to buy the child just about anything he could think of that a ten year old boy would want. Unfortunately for Bruce, his experience with 10 year olds is very specific.

So far the child had turned down a trip to the zoo, a set of daggers, a rare comic book collection, a skateboard (aggressively so), and a pet. Damian commended him for the effort, at ten he would have sold Timothy out for a goldfish.

The offer of getting him a library card was the most successful one, if only because Jason said no after three seconds instead of the usual one second.

Damian was losing his patience.

“Child, you are helping a murderer hide. Do you understand his crimes are also on your shoulders then?”

Jason’s stubbornness flared into anger.

“Hood ain’t no murderer, he’s done more for me than anyone. I don’ care if you lock me up and throw away the key, I’m not tellin’.“

“He is a murderer. He is also an expert manipulator. You two barley know each other and you’re ready to protect him with your life? ”

The child bared his teeth in a snarl.

“I know him plenty. He’s the guy that’s getting’ rid of the bad people in the alley. He’s the guy that got rid of Frankie and then the kitchen on fifth opened up again. He’s the guy that torched Penguin’s bar so his thugs didn’ come round anymore. What I don’ know is who the fuck you’re suppose to be!”

Damian felt his eyebrows twitch upwards but the child kept going.

“You keep talkin’ big but I’ve barely seen you in Gotham. None of this is any of your business, fuck off back to Blud so me and Bruce can get Tim back here.”

“This is my family you little cretin. I have every right to be here.”

“That’s a real funny way to talk about family.”

Damian must have looked angry because the pipsqueak turned around and ducked behind Bruce. He tried going for a casual look, like Jason was just trying to reach the books in the shelves of Bruce’s office, but his steps were too quick.

Once safely behind his father’s chair Jason stuck his head out from the side and continued his glaring session at Damian.

If only Damian was intimidated by Chihuahuas maybe it would affect him.

However, this was the first in Jason had given them. His loyalty to Tim, though ill advised, is admirable (If Kent was there he’d say it’s also adorable). However, if they proved they wished to help Tim, and not harm him, the boy might open up. So, the question then: How does one explain complicated foster family relationships that also have added superhero & sidekick complexities to a ten year old civilian?

Damian decided to look at it like a court case. Explaining the situation as simply as possible to the (often idiotic) jury was step two. Step one was easing his posture and taking in a calming breath.

“Timothy and I were never close, it’s true. I took out my aggression with father on him too often for us to ever become so. But he was made a part of this family. Legally, and morally by my father.

He is family. And we answer for family.”

Damian leaned on his father’s heavy desk, keeping eye contact with Jason.

“Placing him in the one place that can truly help his mind and stop his worst impulses is what family must do. It is the right decision, precisely because we are the only ones willing to bare the guilt of placing him there. “

“Bullshit. Family never rats a guy out to the cops.”

“We aren’t a normal family. Drake isn’t a normal man.”

“What’s that gotta do with anythin’?”

“You already know Drake was Robin.”(And how strange it is to say the words upstairs instead of the cave) ” We are a family of highly trained multi-talented assassins and crime fighters. Drake in particular is skilled enough to topple an economy with nothing but a laptop and an internet connection. We are dangerous. It is exactly why we depend on each other to keep us in check.”

Jason’s knuckles were going white with the grip he had on father’s chair. Damian was getting through.

“Think about it Todd. Why does Hood never try and kill Batman? Why does he never simply blow Arkham up and leave Gotham? Because he has family here. His whole life has centered around Batman. And to be Batman my father simply cannot let him commit crimes.

So Todd, it’s a choice of helping a highly dangerous unstable teen commit crimes as the Red Hood, or helping Batman help his son. All we need is for you to tell us where he’s hiding.”

Jason broke eye contact. His grip on the chair didn’t ease up, his false confidence falling away to show an anxious Jason worrying at his lip. Damian waited him out. Saying anything more would look like Damian wasn’t sure of himself.

As he waited for the child to speak Damian sat back down into the one of the chairs facing father’s desk. He had been ready to question the child since last night, however, even Damian had to admit the child was far too tired. He had startled awake a bit when father hugged him on the porch but basically fell asleep in his arms. The questioning had to wait till morning. Why Bruce insisted on having this conversation upstairs instead of the cave isn’t quite clear to Damian. Possibly to make Jason feel more comfortable. Maybe to keep Damian out of the cave. Or perhaps his father wanted to enjoy the soft sunshine streaming in through the office windows.(Hah.)

Looking up to his father Damian froze. Bruce was staring at him with a small smile, his eyes soft. He looked…What was the word? Proud. At Damian? Was Bruce alright? He had calmed down yesterday when they brought Jason back to the manor, but maybe Damian should have checked if the event broke something in the man.

God knows Damian felt something in him constrict at the words “Jason’s been taken.”

Bruce probably relived a few nightmares while Damian wasn’t looking.

His father must have caught his internal panic (how does he always do that), since he softly shook his head. _Nothing’s wrong Damian, I’m just being strange again._

Damian nodded once. Whatever it was could wait.

“I won’t tell you where he is. “

Todd left his hiding space. He went around the table and stood next to the chairs, shoulders slumped but face set. His voice less high, more sure of itself.

“He helped me. I promised to help him back. Not you. “

He turned to Bruce.

“If you want to kick me out I get it. You’re Batman, Tim’s a bad guy or whatever. Mom liked ya though”, he swallowed,”and you helped me too so- I won’t tell anyone, promise. I can’t sell him out though Mr. Wayne. I just. Can’t. He’s Robin, ya know?”

And Bruce did seem to know. The soft look on his face stayed as he stood up and slowly approached Jason. The boy still flinched though. Damian expected Bruce to stop and back off but instead he kept going till he was in front of Jason and then he lowered himself onto one knee so he could look the boy in the eyes. He slowly lowered a hand Jason’s shoulder.

“Jason. I will not kick you out. I am also not mad. I expected you to say no. I haven’t known you for long but I know you are a very stubborn boy. A very loyal, brave, stubborn boy, who would never betray a friend. “

Jason hung off of every Bruce’s word.

“And though Damian means well, Tim isn’t your responsibility. You do not answer for his actions. We are his family,”, at the word Bruce glanced at Damian,”and we are trying our best to help him. Any information could help us, but if you do not give any of it we won’t hold it against you. You don’t have to pick a side.”

Mother told him once that instilling fear into enemies was the fastest way to make allies. Damian repeated it to his father one day, a comment on Commissioner Gordon’s strong respect for Batman. 

His father considered it and told him that ‘enemy of an enemy’ could also simply end with you having two enemies, who just also happen to hate each other. Allies were far more reliable if forged from mutual respect and understanding than their mutual goal of taking someone down.

One had an expiration date after all.

So yes, going by mother’s logic, Jason was a friend of their current target, so an enemy. He was withholding vital info and choosing Timothy over the people that housed him for a month. Damian should rip up the housing papers and take the child far away where he couldn’t affect his family.

Mother’s logic is how he ended up pushing Timothy away in the first place.

Father kept his hand on Jason’s shoulder and the child grabbed on to his shirt sleeve.

“You…you mean it? I can stay?”

“Yes chum. You can stay. We want you to stay. Don’t we Damian?”

At that Jason’s blue eyes turned to Damian’s green and Damian remembered a fight. Damian yelling at Tim for taking his suit (his spot, his place, his father-), telling a lonely child to go back to his empty house out of stupid anger, never even trying to understand why Tim wanted to stay with them so much.

Damian and Tim had the same enemies. Damian made Tim into an enemy. Father’s logic rang true, and Damian somehow gained and lost a brother in one turn.

He didn’t want that again.

Damian nodded.

“You have a place here, if you wish it. I will not hold Timothy against you.”

The blue eyes blinked once, twice. And then the child threw himself into Bruce, skinny arms locking around Bruce’s neck in a hug, his face muffling into Bruce’s chest. It took father a few seconds to process the action but eventually he hugged the child back.

It was fine. It wasn’t like the child would be staying long anyway. A temporary truce as to not make a new enemy.

Damian looked at his father’s face as Bruce looked up at Damian in bewildered happiness.

(Temporary. Yeah right.)

A while later, Damian found himself in the cave. After the talk was finished they had had a large lunch, Alfred’s way of saying welcome back. Damian wasn’t sure if Alfred meant Jason or Damian but he’d be a fool to turn down one of Alfred’s feasts. (There was also the fact Alfred liked to stress cook and all the food had to go somewhere. Why not have a feast.)

He hadn’t planned on staying but his father had asked for a babysitter. Bruce needed to do some actual work for the company for once, and Jason needed someone to help with schoolwork. Damian would have said no, but Alfred asked next and well. Damian didn’t have a death wish.

Jason wasn’t too happy about the arrangement either, but he didn’t complain.

What followed was a bizarre way of teaching a child how to write. Firstly, reading 20 000 Leagues Under The Sea to a baby seemed unnecessarily complicated, secondly, why write the words out instead of reciting them aloud.

He rectified the second issue, even if Jason refused at first. Pulling the ‘I’m older’ card had never been his style but it worked for its purpose. The child refused to budge on the book choice however. Father’s book choice, no alternatives.

That’s the short story of how Damian spent two hours of his life playing spelling bee with a ten year old. It probably would have been closer to an hour and a half if the child didn’t comment on every event. (He probably realized it annoyed Damian two pages in. He started commenting louder after that.)

Surprisingly, the child understood most of the themes as well as Damian himself did. Between the crude jokes and spelling, he voiced some astute opinions, which Damian added onto. It would seem his father didn’t make a mistake with the book choice after all.

Once he was finally free he went to the cave in search of his father. He found the man in front of the computer, fingers linked as he stared at their biggest active case file. Timothy’s crimes, spread out across the screen. It was a maddening site. All the files connected in some shape or form, but not consistently. Linked as they were, they made a giant mess of committed crimes, assumed crimes, and possible crimes. Crimes usually connect into a spider web pattern, linking motives, weapons, locations. Nothing linked with Timothy. Everything was similar at glance, but too different to connect. 

The locations were never the same. He simply seemed to prefer Crime Alley for its high crime rate. The injuries were always different. Stabs, burns, shots, on and on. Never on the same place on the body. The motive could be simple justice but Damian doubted it. Timothy refused to do anything that didn’t have a set goal.

The Blackgate poisonings were all connected with a long black line, and not a single one could link to Timothy.

And yet he called in all of the crimes himself.

“I’ve finished babysitting. The child is far too obnoxious for his own good.”

“Hmm, he interrupted you too much?”

“I believe he enjoyed my agony. Do keep him away from your rouges gallery, they might entertain the child with explosions.”

Bruce hummed in agreement.

“Especially Riddler. The child proposed that the sea was a metaphor for the Captain’s madness and that the submarine represents how we can only ever truly glimpse someone’s mind through the windows they give us. Edward would buy a submarine within five seconds. Call it Madness. Pose nautical riddles as the child laughs at your agony. “

Bruce looked unimpressed but his eyes were a bit clearer.

“Jason would push him off the side within two riddles.”

And Damian could imagine it.

The two went back to looking at the screen. Timothy’s next crime could be anything, and there was no predicting it.

“Are you sure this is the right thing? Todd knows where he is. He might know even more. If we push him a bit-“

“No. He needs to know we won’t make him choose. Jason isn’t here for us Damian. Tim reminded me of that last time. He is here to be safe and taken care of, not to be pulled into our family drama. Or to take our problems as his own, like Tim did.”

Bruce stood up and looked Damian in the eyes.

“You understand that as well. It is why you told Jason to stay. I. I understand I don’t have the right, after all the fights between us but. I was very proud Damian, to see you open up like you did. To learn from previous mistakes. I’ve been trying to do the same. “

He placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder.

“Thank you for coming back. I’ve missed you.”

And with that Bruce pulled his cowl up and went into the Batmobile. The screech of the tires drowning out Damian’s frantic thoughts of _Did he actually just thank me for something?_

He may have stood frozen like that for a bit longer than he’d like to admit. It’s probably why he didn’t notice Jason come down the steps, or stand next to him at the computer until the child spoke up.

“Wow, all of that’s Tim’s?”

“What are you-Oh. Timothy gave you the clock code, didn’t he. Yes, they are his crimes. Well, some are only assumed but yes. “

“Why is it so-all over the place?”

“Because Timothy constantly mixes things up. Nothing is repeated.”

“Huh. My mom used to do that.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at the implication.

“Your mother was a criminal mastermind?”

Jason snorted.

“Hah, no. I meant the mixing up thing. She’d use a lot of the same ingredients but she’d never repeat the recipe twice. She kept mixing it.”

“Why? Did she not know the recipe?”

“Nah, she was lookin’ for a specific taste. Trying to get it exactly right, like she wanted in her head. If she got it she would only make it that way from then on.”

Huh.

“I came to say sorry.”

“What for?”

“For being a jerk. You just want to get Tim help, I get it. You should probably tell ‘im that though, he thinks you hate him.”

“Well, I don’t blame him. I used to tell him that.”

“Did you mean it?”

Damian thought back to the last six years. How different they could have been if he did all this with Tim so long ago.

_(I wish you didn’t hate me for five long years but wishes mean nothing)_

“No. I didn’t know him enough to hate him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, not me replacing Barbara's study sessions with Jason with Damian study sessions.  
> I'd _never._  
>  \-----------------------  
> In honor of 300 kudos have a 3000 word chapter!  
> We did it lads, we really did it-  
> In my head 300 is the "you made it big" threshold. Idk why. I'm just stupidly proud of this doing so well.  
> \-----------------------  
> Lots of thanks to Bat_Cat_fan for suggesting 20 000 Leagues Under The Sea as Bruce's book choice!  
> \-----------------------  
> Also lots of thanks to everyone who commented last chapter. So many interesting facts were brought to my attention. In conclusion, Superman is off the hook for Jason's death but if someone wants to write an angsty "Superman could have saved everyone, he chose not to" fic there's a LOT of potential.  
> \-----------------------  
> BTW, if someone's in the mood to comment  
> Damian fans, how's my Damian? I know him least of the Robins  
> \-----------------------  
> Till next time-


	12. What do I look like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Jason Todd: Manor Rat

Jason was learning a lot.

For example, he learned you can actually make bread at home. You didn’t need many ingredients but you had to rough the dough up a lot. It was also really sticky. Jason was trying to make it look as perfect as Alfred’s did but he was having a difficult time. Standing on a stool so he could reach the counter, Jason was wrestling the dough with intense focus. He may have overdone it a bit, there was more dough stuck to his hands and arms than on the table.

By the time Jason was done his dough ball would probably be enough for a bun than a loaf of bread.

“Um, Al I fu-dged up.”

“Nonsense master Jason. One cannot mess up while learning. Mistakes pave the way to success.”

“I don’ know what I did wrong though.”

Alfred critically pointed to Jason’s fingers that were stuck in a single position. “Not enough flour would be my guess.”

“I followed the recipe card though.”

“Where that usually works out well master Jason, recipe cards can sometimes be a little off. It is quite alright to use your own judgment.”

Jason huffed. How can he judge something he never even made before?

“Shoulda just bought bread. God forbid Bruce Wayne eat something not made by servants and gold dust. Frikin’ Richie Rich people.“

Alfred’s mustache twitched up. “I’m afraid I am the guilty party. Master Bruce doesn’t have a preference, I however prefer home baked.”

Jason looked up sharply at that. Did he just offend Alfred? “Uh…That’s totally different then! Cause you have good taste Al.” He tried going for an innocent smile but it probably looked more like a grimace.

“Hm. Indeed. Well, do my rich self a favor and clean up. You’ve got some dough on your nose.”

Jason swiped at his nose realizing too late he just covered his whole face in flour.

“…I’ll do that.”

Another thing Jason learned was that Alfred was awesome. Sure, Bruce was the ‘man of the house’, but Alfred basically called all the important shots. Chores, meals, study time. Jason got his schedule from Alfred, did the stuff with Bruce’s help if needed and reported back to Al. The key to living in Wayne manor was to actually make Alfred happy. The man rewards in cake.

Jason figured learning to cook would be pretty useful all around, plus it would help Al. Alfred had been pleasantly impressed with his egg and pancake making skills, but he didn’t know much else.

A baker, Jason was not.

Still, it had been pretty fun. (Removing all the dough, not as much.)

Apparently, the bar for cooking in the manor was _very_ low. Besides Alfred, the others couldn’t do more than boil an egg successfully (As long as you liked them runny). Bruce could make essentials, Tim believed a diet of nothing but coffee and noodles was the peak of cousin and Damian basically had every 5 star restaurant getting him takeout whenever he wanted.

Alfred was ready to weep at the sight of someone asking how to make bread. Or so he says anyway.

The next thing on Jason’s to-do list was ‘talk with Bruce’.

Using some of his newfound knowledge, Jason knew Bruce would probably be down in the cave. It’s the most important piece of knowledge Jason learned since coming there. It made a lot of things click into place. Why Batman was so nice to Hood. Why he brought Jason to the manor. And most importantly, why he was so willing to let Jason stay. Sure, getting Tim home was still there but an idea popped into Jason’s head and it made a lot of sense.

They want a new Robin.

And who better to pick someone than the previous Robin?

Jason was a nobody, no ties. He is also used to getting ruffed up. He knows the streets, knows the mobs and didn’t run from Tim when he met him. If he became Robin Tim could also make sure Jason never talks to the cops.

Jason would be lying if he said he hated the idea. It worked out great for everyone. He gets to stay in a big manor and pays off his debt by being Robin. How cool was that?

Ever since that little realization Jason’s been waiting for someone to bring it up. It’s been a day now, so far nothing.

A hop, skip and clock turn later Jason found himself next to Bruce’s chair as the man himself typed out something on that big computer Tim raved about.

A lesson Jason hadn’t learned yet was how to talk with Bruce. Ever since the whole Batman thing was revealed Jason felt like he was talking to a celebrity 24/7. Does he talk first? Should he keep eye contact? Would Bruce like to be called Sir, Mister or Count? Boss maybe?

Without knowing what to do Jason just stood in awkward silence as minutes ticked by. Finally, Bruce addressed the squirming child.

“I believe we agreed cave access was for emergencies only.”

“Alfred said you wanted to talk?”

“I meant upstairs.”

Jason huffed. “If you have detailed instructions you should pin them on the fridge.”

Bruce sighed. “ Nevermind.” He swiveled his chair so he was fully facing Jason.

“It has been brought to my attention that you haven’t left the manor much beyond Tim’s…visit.”

“Um, guess not.” Not that he minded. Jason upgraded from street rat to manor rat.

“Well, Damian proposed- that is-we thought maybe. You would like to join us. On a trip to town.”

Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Where to?”

“Well, wherever you would like. Damian said the zoo, but he always says the zoo. Alfred recommends the Botanical gardens and I found out the Museum’s doing a Victorian exhibit. Other than that we can catch a movie, go for a walk or drive.”

Jason was officially confused. “You mean we’re not actually doing anythin’?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like-shoppin’ or workin’ We’re just. Going out for nothin’?”

“We’re going out to relax. Change of scenery is important.”

Well, this is definitely a Robin test then. Maybe it was a riddle? But it didn’t sound like one. Bruce paused too much for it to be rehearsed, so not a code either then. Maybe only one answer was correct? But which one?

Robin was Batman’s sidekick right? So the correct answer would be: do what Batman wants.

“Um, the museum.”

“Really? That’s...unexpected. The others hated going there.”

“That’s my final answer.” Jason said as seriously as he could.

“Alright then. I’ll tell Damian to meet us there.” And then a positively surprised Bruce ushered the two of them out of the cave. Jason counted the reaction as a win and grinned.

“Can we take the Ferrari?”

On the ride to the museum Jason was extremely busy inspecting every inch of the car he could reach. Bruce had said no to the Ferrari but Jason wasn’t complaining about the gorgeous Audi he found himself in. He was flicking the window up and down, watching his reflection appear and disappear with a simple push of a button when Bruce cleared his throat.

“Do you know anything about the Victorian era?”

Jason stopped making faces at his reflection and turned to look at Bruce.

Was this another test? Jason wasn’t even sure Victorian was an era. He heard the term before but that was it. Would Bruce think he was stupid if he said no? But they hadn’t had any history book readings yet. Oh, it might be a lie test then! Checking to see if Jason would lie just to look better. Those happened in his adventure books sometimes.

“Not a thing.”

“It was a very interesting period in British history. It spans the years Queen Victoria ruled and it had some contrasting developments.”

“The Queen was so great they named an era after her?”

Bruce chuckled. “No, the British like naming periods of time after rulers. Keeps things in order for them.”

“That’s weird.”

“Well, I suppose it has its benefits. If the ruler is a good one their name will be engraved with respect and love, but if they’re bad leaders they will forever be known as the people that brought about years of suffering.” The words started coming more quickly, Bruce getting more lively as he continued explaining. “The Victorian era was a strange mix of both progress and stagnation. A lot of interesting rituals came from then, as did a lot of technological progress. People enjoy exploring its mysteries.”

“Mysteries? Like what?”

“Oh there’s plenty. The occult was on the rise, ghost stories became very popular, an interesting obsession with death was prevalent. Jack the Ripper is to this day one of the world’s most interesting unsolved mysteries.”

“What he do?”

“Oh he was-“, at that Bruce stopped and blinked at Jason in the rear view mirror. He cleared his throat and the funny dazed expression he had disappeared. “He was a very bad man. You’ll learn about him more when you’re older.”

“Aw come on, don’ just stop. I’m not a baby.”

“Another time Jay.”

“You suck.”

“I’m aware.” But he sounded too amused to actually _‘be aware’._

“So we’re going to a creepy death exhibit?”

“No. There will be many things on display from the period. Clothing, trinkets, various items of use and so on. It’s a lot less interesting than I’m making it sound probably. Very few kids will be there too.“

“Why’s that?”

“Not a lot of interest in the Penny-Farthing among youth I’m afraid.”

Jason scowled. “You keep using fancy words to annoy me don’t’cha?”

Bruce laughed a little. “No, I promise. The penny-farthing is-“

And so Bruce went on to explain a bunch of things Jason had never even heard of. Half of them sounded fake but Jason was so caught up in Bruce’s explanations he believed every word. He didn’t even notice he pulled his knees up on the seat so he could rest his head on them as he listened.

In a flash they were at the museum and Jason was feeling a lot more excited about it. Maybe he would see some of the stuff Bruce mentioned, even if it sounded fake.

Damian greeted them at the entrance, looking bored out of his skull.

“When I said we should take the child out I didn’t mean bore him to death father.”

“Actually, coming here was Jason’s choice.”

Jason nodded vigorously. Damian was the first sidekick, impressing him was a must. He tried remembering the items Bruce had mentioned. “Yeah! I wanna see the weird bikes and pictures and stuff. And-um. Jack the Ripper stuff. He’s real swell. Come on, let’s go.”

There, perfectly educated. He rushed passed the two and into the large building.

(What Jason didn’t see was Damian raising a disapproving eyebrow at Bruce.

“Why does the child admire a serial killer father?”

Bruce sighed. It was going to be one of _those_ days.)

Two hours later and Jason was honestly not ready to leave. So much of the cool stuff Bruce had mentioned was there! There was even a dagger and poison collection. It was the only part of the museum Damian wasn’t complaining through. Jason tuned him out for the most part, Bruce seemed willing enough to answer his weird complaints.

Jason learned Bruce basically knew everything about anything. Anything that caught Jason’s eye Bruce just- started talking about. And he’d skip the boring text book stuff and just get to the interesting bits. Damian would add a comment from time to time, which clued Jason in that he was bored because he knew all this stuff from before.

Which added to Jason’s theory that a sidekick had to be super smart. He listened to every little piece of info as best as possible.

Damian definitely had a preference for the weapons section. Bruce didn’t want Jason going there, but when he turned around and went to talk to the guide lady Jason ran in quick. Damian was already there.

“You shouldn’t be here child.”

“Just a quick look, promise!”

Damian shrugged. “I’ve verbally reprimanded you, my job is done. Just don’t touch anything.”

Jason quickly ran around the exhibits stopping at the pretty little bottles lined behind glass. He was trying to read the labels on them when Damian suddenly spoke behind him.

“Those are poison containers. The Victorians liked everything thematically appropriate, even if it was used for murder. The one to the right is stylized in a snake scale pattern so I assume it was used for snake venom. The pearl white one was probably a chlorine mixture.“

Jason blinked up at the sudden info. He pointed at the small black one in the far back “What about that one?”

“Delphinium poison. Concentrated from the plant and made into a highly toxic solution, in small doses of a drop or two it can cause paralysis with higher doses causing death. A waste of time really. It’s hard to produce and depends highly on a person’s physical well being. A healthy man could take half a bottle without death. Very unpredictable. Simply causes more messes than it does kill people.”

“That’s so freaky. How do you know so much about this stuff?”

“My mother was a hobbyist of the highest degree.”

Jason sensed there was a joke there but he didn’t get it.

Soon enough the two were pushed out of the exhibit by a disapproving Bruce and led back to the car. Jason protested loudly, there was still exhibits he hadn’t seen, but Bruce was ‘thirsty’ and ‘tired of the museum’ which Jay just took as ‘done with Damian’s shit’ but whatever. He did promise to bring Jay back one day though, so that was cool. He even got a map of the museum out of it, stylized with fancy Victorian font.

It came in handy when they took him to some fancy Chinese place for lunch. Bruce actually spoke Chinese with the waiter and everything looked so expensive Jason felt like he belonged more in the kitchen then the VIP table. He could feel the stares of the other people in the place. Jason started wondering what he looked like then, a street rat sitting next to two of Gotham’s elite, hiding his face behind a menu that didn’t make any sense.

He had to give the menu back to the waiter soon though.

That’s where the map came in. He spread it out over his knees and tried to picture the place in his head according to the map, letting his hair hide his face. Damian noticed what he was doing but he didn’t reprimand him for ignoring them. Bruce asked if there was a place they didn’t visit. Jason traced the map and read aloud the names and exhibits, the three of them commenting what had caught their eye and what didn’t. Bruce also added some more facts he found fun where he could. By the time the food came Jason realized he didn’t feel the stares anymore.

Jason thought about asking them if he did passed any of the tests, but stopped when he remembered they were in public. He’d just have to hope he did good enough. He’d ask Tim next time he comes visit for some tips or something. But at least one thing he was sure of.

The museum was definitely the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce catching himself before he explains a vicious serial killer to a ten year old is a mood.  
> \---------------------------  
> I based this off of a comic from Jason's Robin days where Bruce legit ignores a girl he's with to talk with Jason about the exhibits. Little Jay went by himself and ended up spending a day with his dad instead. I like to imagine Bruce loves teaching Jay as much as Jay loves being taught.  
> \---------------------------  
> If you're wondering why Damian agreed to this, his excuse was 'Tim might show up to kidnap the child', and _definitely not because he thought Jay would pick the zoo and Damian wanted to show the kid around._  
>  \---------------------------  
> Till next time-


	13. How to turn the chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce puts his life back together, one sharp piece at a time.

Bruce was absolutely sick of the Gotham foster system. Since he started his plan to find Jason a nice home he had reported 16 homes to the police and 27 to the adoption board for lying about their status. 8 homes were suitable but too crowded and 3 had ties to the mob. Bruce was baffled. All these homes should be vetted, and yet here he was. Not able to find a single suitable home for an abused ten-year-old.

It made his blood boil.

A case hadn't made him this mad in a long time. The persistent itch to help those kids was screaming at him, making Batman run across the rooftops faster, hit the criminals a bit harder. Especially since he could only do so much. This was a systematic problem, not one he could punch away.

That's where Bruce came in. 

It wasn't easy, walking back into the Wayne building. It was even harder to look Lucius in the eye. The sheer guilt of abandoning the man to the wolves, the embarrassment of hiding away and the sorrow of not seeing Tim sitting behind his desk was suffocating. He still did it. Far more than the company was at stake.

The first day was awful. Nothing but loss reports and furious stockholders, all mixed with disdain from his board members and pitying looks from the workers. And yet, seeing Lucius smile at him like Bruce hadn't abandoned the man hurt the most. The first thing he did on day two was give the man a month paid leave and a stupidly high bonus. 

Lucius turned the leave down.   
"No offence Bruce, but I didn't keep this place from burning to the ground just so you could do it while I'm sipping drinks in Tahiti."

They agreed on a double bonus and postponed vacation.

The days went on. Bruce knew he could only help fix the system if he fixed his company first, but that itch to help ASAP was still there. Combined with the atmosphere in the company everything felt like it was in shambles.

Well, almost everything. 

To his surprise, one aspect of his life had improved. After Damian moved out and Tim was placed in the Child Center Bruce hated coming home. He hated the mansion itself. Spending as little time up there became his creed. It was too quiet, too still, too lifeless. Bruce was already all those things. He didn't need the reminder. 

Now, however, Bruce didn't dread his drive home. He rushed to it. Because a small child was waiting for Bruce to come home so they could read together. Because Alfred stopped looking at Bruce like a martyr.   
Because Jason was a loud kid, not in tone but presence. Taking all that lifeless atmosphere and spitting in its face.   
Because there was a chance, a small amount of possibility, that Damian was there as well. That he was making sure Jason wasn't kidnapped again, talking with Alfred or sipping tea. 

The chance was small but it was so much more than he had before.  
Just like the hope that Tim would be there with them too.

He wanted to go home. And that was the only thought that made the itch subside for a bit. Because Bruce couldn't fix the system right away but he could be there for Jason. He could help Jason. That was enough to keep him going through the long workdays.

And Batman would never say it but it was enough to make him come home a little bit earlier than usual.

Today was one of those days. Bruce had actually gotten some sleep and was reading through the news in the dining room when Jason trudged down the stairs. Hair combed, completely dressed and eyes bright. 

"Good morning lad. Sleep well?"

"Mornin'! Yea, that trip tired me out. I never even knew we had so much trees in Gotham."

'So many trees' being the small forest outside the mansion. Jason wanted to see the 'wilderness'.

As was becoming routine Jason hopped up on the chair that used to be Damian's and proceeded to have breakfast with Bruce. Conversation with Jason was...special. He didn't talk first, like Tim in the early days. But Tim hated letting the conversation die. He often had five different topics in his head, keeping Bruce engaged for the entire meal with questions and ideas. You just had to invite him to start.

Jason had no such problems. He would be asked a question, answer and stop. The length of the answer varied. If it could be answered with a yes or no, it would. But, if Bruce asked the right question, Jason could speak for the entire meal. He had once forgotten to eat at all. And at the end of such a monologue, he would stop, shrug and go back to silence. 

It took a few trials and errors but Bruce realised it was different from Tim. Tim thought people didn't want him to speak unless he was asked. Something Bruce would never forgive the Drakes for. Jason, on the other hand, simply enjoyed the quiet. Bruce decided the best balance was asking a few questions at the beginning and basking in the comfortable quiet along with the kid. 

It was during that quiet the doorbell rang.

Alfred popped out of the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at Bruce. Bruce shook his head dismissively. He hadn't invited anyone.

Jason looked after him, curiosity painting his features.

"Huh, forgot this place had a bell."

Alfred appeared quickly, tone serious. "Master Bruce sir, some people here to see you. Master Jason if you could take the dishes to the kitchen please."

Jason was surprised by the unexpected order but jumped to the job quickly. Bruce was only a little jealous of Jason's obedience to Alfred.

Alfred's expression made Bruce nervous, however. Something was wrong.

He walked towards the front door and found an agent of the state on the other side. A woman in a suit, papers in her hands. With her was a couple. They were young, the early thirties at most, holding hands and looking sour. 

"Mister Wayne. Good morning. We are here on behalf of the foster system. These are the Goodwin's", the woman waved to them, "and they are here to meet your temporary ward."

Temporary ward? Oh, they mean Jason.

"Why do they wish to meet Jason if I may ask?"

"They are looking to adopt. Jason fits their criteria very well."

That wasn't possible. Bruce knew the adoption list by heart, there was no Goodwin family on there.

"I was informed there wasn't a single family on the list with Jason's specific needs met."

"There wasn't. This is a special case. The Goodwins recently adopted, but their daughter had to be taken away I'm afraid. A living relative came forward and after assessment, it was decided the girl be placed with them seeing as legal relatives outweigh the non-legal ones."

Bruce could see it on them. Both Goodwins looked downtrodden, sleepless eyes and shaking hands.

"Luckily Jason is very similar in requirements. He turned up just at the right moment it would seem. May we come in?"

"Excuse me but you can't. These visits need to be scheduled in advance, I can't simply spring this on a child."

She thrust the papers in her hands at him.

"Yes sir, we know. That's why we called you twice. Now I see that not only did you neglect our calls but you haven't listened to our messages either. I brought these just in case, proof of our phone calls. We have fulfilled all requirements, now please step aside."

Bruce looked the papers over. They were real state-issued phone records, clearly showing phone calls to the mansion. Except. 

There were no phone calls. Bruce was there during those times, he knows that for a fact.

Fact or not he had no proof.

"...Let me fetch him. You can wait in the living room."

Alfred appeared to take the guests away and Bruce made his way to the kitchen where Jason was sitting on the countertop. He was trying his hardest to eat an apple but it was so big he had to hold it with two hands. Every bite was basically a nibble.

"Heya boss. We got guests?"

"No Jason, they're with the foster system."

Jason stopped mid-bite. He lowered the apple down and gave Bruce his full attention.

"They've brought a family for you to meet. A potential foster family."

Bruce ground out every word. He hated each one. All of this was too sudden, Jason's growing horror just adding to Bruce's anger. How dare they just spring something like that on a traumatised child. 

"They're...takin' me away. Aren't they."

"No. This is just a meeting, to see if you will get along with them. I promise."

Jason didn't look too relieved by the fact. He turned a bit pale, his eyes showing fear. Bruce had never met anyone who wore their emotions like Jason did.

Despite it, the child nodded. Took a deep breath and toned the fear in his eyes down. He jumped off the counter and waited for Bruce to lead. Bruce didn't want to, but he had to. On the way, he tried to calm but only succeeded once he let Batman take over. Batman would lead a far more productive conversation anyway, he reasoned. 

It probably would have worked too, but halfway to the living room, once the voices of the guests could be heard, Jason grabbed Bruce's hand.   
He caught it awkwardly and held on desperately and Bruce dropped any notion of staying objective.

He squeezed the kids hand and refused to leave his side for the rest of the visit, no matter what.

He hoped Jason understood that, as he watched the social worker introduce herself and the family. The first round of questions began after Jay sat across them, Bruce sitting to the right.

Jason answered every question with a yes, or a no or a maybe. Bruce could see the Goodwins get disheartened by Jason's answers and stewed on the inside, knowing Jason wasn't being rude but simply himself. Knowing that Jason answered as best as he knew how, and yet these people simply didn't see it as enough. It annoyed Bruce beyond reason.

There was something wrong, however. Between the questions, Jason would look at the couple and simply stare. Like he was looking for something. And during the questions, he'd look down. They didn't notice.

"So Jason, can you tell us what grade are you in?"

_He dropped out. He should be fifth._

"Forth."

"I see. That's a very fun grade. Do you like school?"

_He loves it. He loves learning, reading, explaining. He takes to all subjects like a sponge, except math. He doesn't enjoy it as much as reading._

"Yes."

"Lovely. Do you have a favourite colour?"

_Green. It was the colour of his mother's eyes. But he also likes anything red. Probably because of his favourite vigilante._

"Green."

"Hmm. Mine is yellow." For the first time, Mrs Goodwin spoke. Her tone was soft, unlike the demanding tone of the social worker. "Paul likes red a lot. " She smiled, a bit strained but trying "I like to think we go like ketchup and mustard."

It was a silly thing, but it made Jason smirk a bit. "I thought mustard was orange."

"It is." Mr Goodwin spoke up. "My wife simply refuses to say ketchup and mayo."

His wife scrunched her nose. "Mayo is icky."

Paul gently pushed her shoulder. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is darling."

"No, it's not."

"Well, we'll let Jason decide then."

"Oh um. I-like it?"

"Finally, someone agrees with me!"

"Uh, no need to rub it in."

"Oh, there's all the need." Mr Goodwin laughed " you rubbed it in my face for a month when Emma said-"

And any cheer the two had dragged up for themselves dissolved. Both their faces crumbling into grief.

Jason, picking up on it, decided to ask. "Who's Emma?"

Mr Goodwin answered. "She was. Mhm. Excuse me. Emily was our stepdaughter. I called her Emma. We had her for a while but- she's moved in with a relative now."

Jason's eyebrows shot up, his eyes widening. He rapidly looked between the two of them and exclaimed:

"That's it! You were that family of three!"

"What?"

"I've been tryin' to figure it out, I knew you looked familiar! I saw you at the ice cream place, you were with ya kid."

"Oh, from the free ice cream day? I do remember there being a boy your age. What are the chances."

Small. Extremely, painfully small. Because Bruce never took Jason out for ice cream.

"Yeah, I remember you. " Mr Goodwin added "you were with an older boy. He had weird hair. A friend of yours Jason?"

Jason swallowed, glancing towards Bruce on the other side of the table. He knew it was too late to take it back.

"Um, yeah."

"Ugh, I don't remember anyone from the shop. There were so many other people, I swear it was like half of Gotham won that free ice cream day. I even saw a friend of mine from college."

"Yeah, Harry said hi too. He adopted too right? Real cute kid."

"Mhmm. Gosh, you really remember us kiddo? That's impressive. I sometimes forget my own number!"

The conversation flowed on. Going back to some questions and answers before the social worker called the end of the meeting. On their way out both Goodwins bid Jason a warm goodbye and Mrs Goodwin gave him a peck on the cheek. They seemed happier when they left. The social worker told Bruce she'd be in touch for the second meeting. Soon.

They were nice. Perfect almost. Just like Jason is almost perfect for them. Cherry-picked. Bruce should be extremely pleased.

Except. Gotham never has perfect things. The odds are never this good for happy endings in Gotham.

' _Unless you make them smile in your favour'_

Unless you're a detective capable of finding a long lost blood relative. Who can also rig high tech phones to not alert on specific phone calls.

"Bruce?"

Bruce snapped out of his thoughts to find a miserable looking Jason staring at him.

"Did. Did I do that?"

"Do what Jay?"

"I didn't mean to. I didn't get what he was askin'. Tim didn't tell me he was gonna separate the kid! I thought he was just askin' stupid questions but now the kid's gone and they're sad and Tim said he'd get me a family but I-"

The words were getting shorter with every breath, Jason growing panicked. The boy had come to the same conclusions as Bruce did, but he had missed the mark a bit.

"Jason. Breath son, it's alright."

"No, but he. I didn't want-" he hugged himself, his voice rising higher, "I'm so stupid! Hood told me we were goin' to look for parents, I thought he was being funny! Now they're gonna take me away, and I'm the reason their kid is gone and they were real nice and I didn't want- I didn't want-"

Bruce's heart cracked for the boy. He dropped to one knee and grabbed Jason's chin so he could look the him in the eye. His other hand went to Jason's shoulder.

"Jason. Breath."  
Jason shook his head no.

"You can Jay. None of this is your fault. Just focus on me. Forget everything else. Follow my breathing and let it even out. "

Jason took a few more rapid breaths but it started to even out slowly. By the time he was finished, there were tears caught in his eyes, his hand again latching onto Bruce's. Bruce took that as a sign. He slowly eased the child into a hug, making sure Jason could pull out of it if he wanted to. He didn't. He burrowed into it, desperately catching onto Bruce's sweater.

At that moment, Bruce knew the exact place Tim went wrong. Tim planned it all out, every little thing, to counter Batman. To plan ahead of him. 

He didn't plan for Bruce refusing to let his new son go.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim: So, the chipmunk found the perfect parents. I just have to make then available. 
> 
> Bruce: Tim no-  
> \------------------------  
> Now this is a chapter I would love comments on! I really would appreciate feedback. Did it make you feel anything, and if so then what?
> 
> I know it sounds silly, but I do need to know for reaserch purposes.  
> \-------------------------
> 
> Till next time-


	14. You can't win without loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's day is going _great_.

Fiona and Vanessa were two very different people.

Fiona was a woman that planted flowers in early spring and waited three months to see them bloom. She would water them, tend to them, coo at them whenever a new leaf sprung from the stalk. And once they bloomed she would make sure to show everyone the lovely colors that sprung up.

Vanessa had no issue with spending good money on already mature plants. She’d buy a flower pot, place it in her home and admire the pretty shapes nature made. It would make her smile in the morning until the plant eventually died from her forgetting to water it.

These differences are crucial.

They are what caused the two sisters to get into a fight so heinous it resulted in a broken off engagement, larceny, a fishing boat catching fire and a prison escape.

None of that matters.

What does matter is that after these events Vanessa disappeared. She left willingly, that much was clear from her goodbye note.

‘Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you when I figure things out.’

No one had ever seen or heard of Vanessa for the next 12 years, no matter how many private eyes Fiona asked.

After Fiona died no one even believed Vanessa was alive.

That’s the short story of how Fiona’s daughter Emily ended up in Gotham’s foster system, with not a single living relative on her file. Because everyone said Vanessa was dead.

Tim Drake found this little mystery interesting.

He stumbled upon it while searching through potential foster homes for the kid that slept in his crime scene. He was already planning to invite the Goodwin family to the ice cream shop, simply for point of reference. A family of three, a larger family and a smaller family. Tim would filter his search based on what the kid picked.

This however, had some interesting consequences.

Because Vanessa wasn’t dead. She had changed her name, moved to Bludheaven and jumped around so often, changed appearance so often, no one realized it was her. Turns out, she became a cop. Her specialty? Undercover operations.

Tim used some of his older backdoors to get into the BDP files, found her current contact info and hit call.

“Hello? Who is this.”

“Hello officer Bing. I’m calling on behalf of your sister Fiona. I was hired by her to find you,”

“You were- How did you get this number!”

“Hard work, sweat and tears mam.”

Something heavy thudded in the background, Vanessa’s muttering filtering through.

“I can’t believe she’s still looking- Listen here buddy, you’re going to forget you ever found me. You will erase any and all files you have. You have no idea what hell you’re playing in. I’ll pay you double whatever she is and you tell her I’m de-“

“I’m actually calling to tell you something mam. Fiona passed away.”

The woman on the other line breathed in sharply. She went completely silent. Tim continued after a bit.

“It was a hit and run. Around six months ago. I only successfully found your contact now but well. I thought you should know.”

A hard swallow and the semi hostile voice turned quiet and monotone.

“What about- What about her kid? She had a kid right? Last time I checked she was around um. Five.”

“Yes, Emily. With no living relative she was placed into the foster system. A couple adopted her quickly.”

“She’s alright?”

“Yes mam. Adapting quite well.”

Another bout of silence. Tim waited.

“Fiona- She never stopped looking huh.”

Tim stared at the long list of private eyes that failed and the bills Fiona never minded paying.

“No. She always wanted to see you again. Family is stubborn like that.”

Tim would know. No matter what he says to Bruce through Arkham’s glass panes the man still comes and visits whenever he can. Keeps telling Tim to give the therapy a proper shot, to let things rest. Tim never does, he still comes visit anyway.

“The- the little girl. Emily. She has family. I- I was going to come back. I promised Fi I would, I just- I have to go. Goodbye. “

And with that the line clicked off.

Tim had two roads in front of him. Either Vanessa let things be as they are, leaving Tim exactly where he is. Or. She would file a request to the system, asking to be Emily’s guardian. Which would give Tim an excellent opportunity.

He wasn’t naïve, he knew finding Jason a nice home was laughable. Too many kids, too few homes. But, if there just happened to be an opening, if Jason happened to appear at the top of the list with a push from Tim- well.

Emily actually had family that cared. She fit in with the Goodwins well, but they had only had her for four months. Children were flexible. It would be jarring for a bit, but she’d get actual blood family out of it. Jason will never have such a thing.

And if Tim learned one thing from his predecessor it’s that blood matters more than anyone wants to believe.

Everyone wins.

As long as Vanessa puts the request in.

He smiled when the request was filed two days later.

“Look at the people in the shop. Tell me who you think looks happy.”

Jason’s eyebrows scrunched together. Tim waited for the kid to ask questions but they didn’t come. Instead, Jay turned his eyes to the crowd and quickly went from table to table. He was biting his lip by the end. He was unsure, but answered.

“All of ‘em look happy.”

“I’d hope so. All of them won the Family Eats Free contest so they have today completely check free here. “

Which burned a nice little hole in Tim’s spending account. Who knew getting a bunch of people free ice cream days was expensive?

“What’s that got to do with anythin’?”

Tim explained his little plan. Jason’s pick was very important. Tim didn’t like the big family option, Jay needed attention, but Jay might want siblings. The single parent option was a high possibility. Tim knew Jason was used to that dynamic the most. The last option was the most fitting. It would give Jay balance and stability. Problem was, that option is so rare Jason would probably turn 18 before a family as perfect as the Goodwins turned up.

Tim had that settled though. Vanessa’s request was being looked over, but chances were split over her getting Emily. It would take some incentive for it to be approved. Incentive like a 500 000 dollar check to the comity head, with a nice little note attached that said “pretty please give Vanessa custody.”

Janet would have been proud.

Jason completely lost himself in his scan. His focus leaving the ice cream to melt. The large family seemed to irritate him a bit, but the single father upset him a lot more. His eyes seemed to water a bit before he turned them to the last family, finally giving Tim his answer.

“The family of three.”

Two minutes later Tim clicked send on his little incentive package.

Red Hood flew from rooftop to rooftop with a spring in his step. He was humming to himself as he walked on roof edges like an acrobat, twirled on chimney’s and slid down slick roves. He was looking for a Bat, but said Bat was late.

Tim checked the news for any possible incidents but Bruce was simply running late to his patrol. Rude.

It took another three songs for a massive shadow to drop in front of Tim, not even bothering for subtlety.

“Finally! I was running out of show tunes. If I had to resort to singing Stephanie’s pop hits my mood would have soured.”

“Hood. What did you do.”

“I know right? A hell of a job if I say so myself. Did the meeting go well? The reports say yes but you would have a better perspective. Did you like them? They were a very nice find. ”

“You didn’t find a nice family Tim. You tore one apart and used the pieces to make Jason one.”

Oh goody, he’s in a lecturing mood. Tim sighed.

“Don’t be dramatic. It was never a real family in the first place.”

“Tell that to the grieving parents I had in my living room Tim. They felt real to me.”

“Temporary loss. If they truly love her they’ll be happy to know I found her actual family. The Goodwins only had her for four months B, they’ll get over it.”

“Actual family? Are you saying they didn’t love her like a daughter? That she didn’t care for them like her parents?”

Tim gave Bruce his best skeptical look.

“What is this, a Christmas movie? You know family doesn’t just happen that quickly. Unless it’s blood. It was a mistake for her not to be placed with family right away anyway. It wasn’t too late to fix it. I did. She gets an aunt that cares, Jason gets a loving family, the Goodwins a great son. Everyone wins.”

“No Tim. You’re playing with people like they’re puzzle pieces. Just because it fits in theory doesn’t mean you aren’t hurting everyone in the process.”

Tim’s happy mood was declining steadily. He thought Bruce would be happy. Not only would Jason move out to a great place, Tim even reunited a long lost aunt and niece. Tim had done a hell of a job in just a few moves. And yet.

“The hurt is temporary. The family will be forever.”

“I’m sure that’s what Emily thought too, when they placed her with the Goodwins.”

Tim’s eyebrow twitched. “What is your issue exactly? That Emily got to meet her aunt or that Jason doesn’t go through adoption hell?”

“How about the fact that Jason broke down in my arms blaming himself for getting a family broken up.”

He _what._

Bruce looked serious, not a single tell of a lie. A subtle anger in his voice. The chipmunk actually broke down because of a little girl he never even met?

_“_ You. You made him think he-”

“No.” Bruce’s tone was unforgiving. “He remembered them, remembered seeing a happy family one day and suddenly there was a depressed suffering couple trying to fill the void _you_ made. And instead of blaming you, or telling me what you did, he blames himself for not being smart enough to figure out exactly how you were going to do it. ”

“That’s- ha.“ Tim laughed. “That’s ridicoulous. I told the kid nothing. He has nothing to blame himself for.”

“And who should he blame Tim? You? Don’t you see the way he looks at you? You’re his hero Tim.”

Bruce came closer, and Tim knew he should move but his feet were led.

“You keep his home safe” Bruce pushed a finger into Tim’s chest with every point, “You saved his friends. You noticed him when no one else even looked at him. Both as Red Hood and as Robin. He listened to stories about you and how smart you are every night Tim.”

No, those weren’t true. Tim taking care of the alley was a side effect. He was just hunting people on his list. Most of them were Alley bred. People somehow took that as protecting. Tim let them gossip. It wasn’t really important.

Saving kids wasn’t something to be praised over either. Tim would do that for anyone. Friends or no friends. Just like he caught Jason smoking and told him off. Those aren’t special, they’re just human decency.

“You’re the smartest person he knows, so it can’t be you that made a mistake. You’re too great in his eyes to be the problem. So that just leaves Jason. The entire reason for it all. That’s where the blame fell.”

“You’re lying”

Tim was no hero, and Jason wasn’t a stupid kid. He knew what Tim did. At best, Jason tolerated him for convenience. Whatever it was, it wasn’t because Jason blamed himself.

That wasn’t Jason’s job.

_(Fixing everything isn’t your job Tim. You’re just a kid-)_

“You’re lying you’re lying you’re lying. Trying to make me feel guilt, get under my skin.” Tim laughed “Well no dice. Everything’s already over anyway. You can’t stop the process now.”

“No Tim. You’ve done far more damage than you think, but it’s not too late to fix some of it.”

Tim tensed, his hand going to his grapple gun. He wasn’t ready to go to Arkham just yet.

Batman stepped away.

“Go to the manor. Talk with Jason. Apologies. Then we’ll talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim: I have done absolutely nothing wrong  
> Everyone: You've done everything wrong  
> Tim: I refuse to take constructive criticism at this time  
> Jason: *sad Jay noises*  
> Tim: I repent for everything I have ever done, ever  
> \--------------------  
> Up next: Have you ever seen an angry chipmunk?  
> \--------------------  
> Till next time-


	15. You can win and everybody still loses

This wasn't part of the plan.  
Going to the manor now was risky. He planned on visiting the kid _after_ the Goodwins took him home. That way he could make sure Jason felt safe there, knowing Tim had his new location.

There was also the fact they probably upped security since Tim's last visit. Including Damian acting as a strange form of brooding guard dog.   
He wasn't sure he could get out before he found himself in handcuffs.

But this couldn't stand. If Jason really was blaming himself he might do something stupid, like run away. That used to be Tim's go-to response for situations like this.

Running away from problems is how he got into the vigilante game.

Except Jason wouldn't be running from a lifeless home or phantoms he called parents. Jason would be running from his one shot at a normal life. All because Tim mistook Jason's hero-worship as childish curiosity. 

Luckily, it should be an easy fix. Get in, tell Jay it was Tim's plan all along, explain it logically and hopefully leave before someone pulled out a net. Jay would probably be down in the dumps because of the remorse, but Tim had experience with that like no other. He'd snap the kid out of the depressive state with a puppy or something.

The main problem, Tim mused to himself as he climbed up to the Wayne Manor gate, was getting Jay to talk with him. Tim wouldn't call his parents for a month after he did something 'not fitting of a Drake'.

Turns out Tim worried for nothing.

"Tim you're actually 'ere! Bruce said he'd find ya. Didn't think it would be this quick though."

Tim stared down at the kid. He found him sulking in the library, taking up one-third of an armchair as he was tucked into a little ball. He wasn't alone either. Sitting prim and proper in an opposite chair was Damian, dressed in his usual combo of black, black and green. And to complete the look he also had his ever-present accessory, the scowl.

"I recommend you stay where you are Drake. Come any closer to the child and I'll-"

Jason uncurled from his ball and ran over to Tim in a blink. Tim could hear Damian's growl of irritation but his focus was on the tiny hands suddenly grabbing the front of his shirt. 

"Tim you gotta get the girl back! I didn't want her family, I thought you were askin' somethin' else- I know you want me to go with 'em now, and you did so much for me but I can't let some kid suffer cause of my stupid mouth. You've gotta undo it, Tim, you've gotta!"

Tim blinked at the desperate tone, slowly grabbing Jason's hands and uncurling them from his shirt. Damian was standing now, halfway across the room to the two of them. Not a good position for a long talk. Silently, Tim crouched down and moved his arms under Jay's, lifting the kid up into his arms easily. 

Surprised by the soft hug/carry, Jason loosely grabbed the hem of Tim's shirt. Damian had moved towards them rapidly, but instead of running away with Jason Tim walked towards Damian, dodging his grab before placing both himself and Jason on the plush couch that sat across the fireplace.

Tim placed Jay on one end and sat on the other, hoping the distance would ease both Damian and Tim's minds.  
Raising both his hands he turned to Damian first.

"I'm just here to talk with the chipmunk. I don't want a fight, so sit in the armchair next to the kid and let me talk. The other options are me knocking you out or you throwing me out a window, and really, those are just unnecessary complications."

After a beat or two of grinding his teeth, Damian complied. The three sat in a tense silence while Tim examined Jason a bit more. The Poison Idea shirt he was wearing was oversized, just like his eye bags. He had also bitten his lower lip to hell. His breathing was a bit fast.

Comfort clothes and signs of high anxiety.

Tim hates it when Bruce is right.

"Jason, I need you to listen to me carefully. Bruce told me you think the girl was taken because of you. Is that true?"

"Well duh. You asked me to pick a family and I did. I just didn' realize you meant it was for me! I would have told you no if I knew."

"You didn't realize because I didn't tell you. You had nothing to do with it. I did it because it was the right thing to do."

Jason raised his eyebrows at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's simple. The girl had a long lost aunt no one knew was alive. I made sure the two were reunited, and that opened a place for you with the Goodwins. It has nothing to do with your actions directly. " 

“You found her aunt?”

“Yes. She deserved to know about her niece right?”

Jay pressed his lips together, his brow dipping. He nodded yes.

“That’s exactly right. She decided she wanted to take her niece in, I just made sure we took the opportunity.”

Damian seemed to take issue with that one. “No need to be modest Drake. You also made sure the opportunity happened.”

Tim slid his gaze over to Damian. “I made sure the girl ended up in the proper home. Are you of all people saying I should have ignored her bloodline?“ Tim giggled. “That’s almost funny.”

“What do you mean you helped?”

“I made sure the aunt’s papers got through Jay, that’s all.”

“So you…told the aunt about the girl. And then made sure they were placed together?”

“Basically.”

“But. What about the Goodwins? She’s their daughter right? That’s stronger than a niece. Right?” Jay turned to Damian. “Right? They should be more important.”

Damian turned his face towards the floor. “They were her parents yes, but not by blood. Blood takes priority in cases like these.”

Jason seemed surprised by this.

“What? That’s bullshit. What’s blood gotta do with anythin’? They took her in, that’s that. The girl that works in the fruit place outside the alley says it’s her family’s place, even though they took her from one of the pimps.”

Tim shrugged. “It’s different Jay. Family that isn’t by blood takes a lot of time. Blood is…like a subconscious contract. You immediately feel connected to this person, simply because you have similar DNA. That makes you want to protect them more than other people. It takes years to reach that type of bond with other people. The Goodwins only had four months.“ Tim smiled at Jason. “So don’t feel guilty Jay. They weren’t really her parents. We fixed the issue right on time.”

  
Jason processed these words for a bit. He kept staring at Tim, his face going more grim with time. Wide eyed he asked Tim another question.

“If I hadn’t picked them, would you have done it anyway?”

Tim cocked his head. _What’s that got to do with anything?_

“Yes. I would have taken a more subtle, longer route, but yes.”

And that, it turned out, was the worst answer he could have picked.

Jay’s face went red, his lip pulling into a snarl. The little shoulders shook with strain. That was about the only warning Tim had before he found a face full of little chipmunk fists, toppling him to the ground and knocking the side table along with them. Jason smashed his fists into Tim’s face and shoulders. He was yelling over the crash of things around them. Tim grabbed his arms to stop him and got a knee to the stomach for it. Before Tim could flip the kid Damian grabbed Jason from the back and pulled him off. The kid didn’t stop yelling, words finally making sense.

“You bastard! You fuckin’ spoiled rich jackass! Not everyone gets a fuckin’ family like you did! They were her family! THEY LOVE HER! Put her back! PUT HER BACK!”

Tim could only stare as the kid kept struggling in Damian’s hold, spouting things in circles, the hysteria fading as the kid lost his breath, his body going limp.

“…You’re…wrong. They love her. And you took her from ‘em for some lady she never even met. Please.“ he whispered. “Put her back.”

Tim could feel his eye throbbing from where Jay got a good punch in. He could feel his ears ache from the high pitched yells and sounds. He could taste the blood from his bitten tongue. He knew it didn’t hurt that much, but everything felt off key to him.

He should be happy. The kid finally realized all of it was Tim’s fault. This isn’t the perfect solution, but after they take him away at least he won’t blame himself. He’ll blame Tim. It’s a good enough alternative, even if Tim won’t be able to see the kid anymore. It’s acceptable. So, Tim slowly stood up.

It’s acceptable.

He brushed himself off, ignoring the few blood drops on his shirt.

It’s acceptable.

He cleared his throat, trying to find the best way to finish it.

It’s acceptable.

Just like sending the kid away was acceptable. The pain was worth the reward. An acceptable compromise.

Jason hating Tim was acceptable as long as the deal went through.

“No.”

Jason looked at him then. His body going completely lax, his eyes shiny.

“Then I won’t go anywhere. I’m stayin’ right here.” His voice went strong, even. “You took her from her family you jackass, but you won’t take me from mine.”

And Tim felt his hands and legs go cold. They had completely deluded the kid in a short month and a half. Tim didn’t think Bruce would be that cruel.

“Oh Jay, I’m so sorry. But they’re not your family kiddo. Just a bunch of people in masks playing pretend.” Tim’s voice was quiet, even to him. Softly flowing through the aged shelves and books. “You’ll thank me for it, after they take you in. I promise.”

“I’m afraid you’re the one who needs a reality reassessment Drake. The child is staying here. For good.”

Tim glanced at Damien’s somber tone. “Like hell. Bruce knows Jay deserves better. He wouldn’t play along to this.”

“Batman wouldn’t, it’s true. Father on the other hand has gotten attached to your little project. And Bruce Wayne takes family very seriously.”

The cold spread throughout the rest of Tim’s body.

No. It had only been a couple of months. It took Bruce half a year to call Tim family. Tim was counting on it. He knew there was only one name strong enough to break to the top of any list in Gotham, with connections and money to go with him.

The prince of Gotham gets what he wants. Tim was banking on Bruce not wanting. Tim thought Bruce understood, even if he disliked the method.

Tim frantically grabbed his phone and booted up his backdoors to the foster system files. He rushed through every check, jumped through Jay’s history and landed on the current adoption family candidate name.

AFC: Bruce Wayne. Status: Finalizing.

The temporary foster papers pushed him ahead of anyone else, citing excellent improvement in child’s demeanor and health.

And for the first time in a long time, Tim laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

He turned away from Jay’s concerned face and Damian’s clenched jaw and laughed all the way to Bruce’s office, and down the cave steps.

He only stopped with a big sigh once he found Bruce standing in the middle of the main platform, the library camera feed showing an empty room left in shambles.

“God, you are a real piece of work. You know your life is dangerous, you know it already destroyed one little orphan, and yet the smartest man in the world decides to do it all over again anyway. I believe that’s a definition of insanity Bruce.”

The dark knight took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, keeping Tim’s frustrated gaze with a stone cold one. Whatever he was about to say, Bruce had practiced for a while.

“Not really the same I’m afraid. I was a coward with you, Jack and Janet let you believe you had to earn love for so long. I let that fester before realizing the problem. Being a part of the reason your faith in family was such a fragile thing is one of my greatest failures. Joker used that against you, broke what little of it was left. I’m sorry Tim. But I can’t let you break apart families because yours didn’t work out. It won’t fix you son, it’ll just break more people.”

More laughter echoed, scaring the bats. “You really do have bats In the belfry Batsy! You keep trying so hard to punish yourself it’s almost funny. NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU! This was about a kid with a chance and your unending martyr complex somehow dragged all of us down with you. Well, congrats! You win!” Tim made jazz hands at the bats up above. “ I lose.” He shrugged. “ Well, at least you’ve proven something Bruce. You are absolutely incapable of being Batman anymore. I killed the Joker but I didn’t know I got a two for one deal.” A harsh laugh. “I killed whatever made _you_ Batman right along with him. What a fucking joke.”

Tim looked at his old suit, lit up on the main platform side. The short glider in black hanging on the back, acting like a makeshift cape. The Bo staff proudly crossed over the yellow R. The red mask that meant nothing in the end.

The inscription at the bottom calling him “A reliable solider.”

“Well at least you got one bit right. I am reliable. I take my promises _very_ seriously. And I remember making one to you. I told you what would happen if you messed up. Now-“ Tim turned to Bruce and made sure to give him his biggest smile. “I think it’s time people found out what’s really under Gotham’s Red Hood.”

Bruce rushed to grab Tim. Tim threw a batarang at the computer. The screen exploded. A switch went off. Everything went black.

The light turned back on.

And Tim was nowhere to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A round of applause for Tim's many many issues, they really shined in this one.  
> \---------------------------  
> If anyone is wondering where Alfred is, he's shopping for adoption cake ingredients.  
> \---------------------------  
> Also, we've hit fifteen chapters! Woo, go me! And go all of you reading this along with me. Very happy to see that almost 400 people support my mission to give Tim and Jay some love. That's enough to raid DC HQ I think.  
> \---------------------------  
> Till next time-


	16. What comes next

Jason is pretty sure the Robin training was put on hold.

Punching Tim might have even canceled the whole thing.

Somehow, that wasn’t the worst problem he had.

It had been one week since Tim pissed Jason off with his stupid talk about family. It still made Jay a little angry, just thinking about it. Everything Tim said was so mean and uninterested. Like that bullshit about the Goodwins not being parents.

Parents bleed love for their kids. Like Bruce does for Tim and Damian. And the Goodwins bled every fucking second Jason had seen them. Anyone could notice that. Which just means Tim either didn’t care or he actually believes they’re lying.

They weren’t. And Tim probably knows that too. But his logic said stuff like love is just temporary, like he was talking about a pair of socks. Lose one? Just get another one!

Jason had had one good parent and not even Bruce made thinking about his mom any easier. Why didn’t Tim get that?

He would ask someone but no one was really available.

Because two nights ago, after five days of somber looks and heavy sighs, an emergency broadcast sent the whole manor up in arms.

Jason had been in the living room then, watching TV to escape everyone’s quiet moodiness. He was trying to figure out how to disable the child lock thing when his cartoon suddenly cut out, replaced by a serious looking lady in a bright pink suit.

_“This is Vicky Vale reporting live with an emergency broadcast to all Gotham citizens. Mayor Hamilton Hill, senator Phil Able and senator Gretchen Bill were all found dead today after the Gotham Leaders meeting. Hill and Able were discovered in their cars while Bill was found in her office. The police have refused to comment at this time beyond a message from Commissioner Gordon who has asked all citizens to stay calm, and if possible stay inside of their homes. No criminal has come forward to claim the crime as of yet.”_

A giant hand blocked Vicky Vale’s face for a second and brushed the tip of Jason’s nose, making him yelp and jump backwards. Bruce grabbed the remote Jason had placed next to him and turned up the news, completely focused on the lady.

_“Though the police have not commented we have been able to contact the witness that found the first body, Mayor Hill’s, and some of the passerby’s of the other bodies. It would appear that poison was used, seeing as multiple people have claimed there were no grave wounds on any victim. However, the bizarre occurrences do not stop there. Minutes after the first body was reported a string of videos featuring the victims were uploaded to an anonymous profile online. Each is titled with dates and locations. Every video shows evidence of criminal activity, ranging from Hill stealing funds from Gotham’s charity programs to Able inviting children into his car from Park Row corners. With every video came links to more documentation and proof on their crimes, including pictures and details.”_

As suddenly as he showed up Bruce jumped to disappear out of the room. He rushed back in two second later, turned off the TV and looked at Jason.

“Stay in the house at all times. No exceptions.”

And that was about the last time he spoke to the man in two days.

He wasn’t being ignored or anything. It’s just that everyone had basically migrated to the cave all the time. Damian came up from the cave once and Jason didn’t even know he was there. Alf came up the most, but even he didn’t stay long. Between making sure Jason was alright, feeding him and carrying stuff downstairs they barley shared a word. Jason tried convincing the man into letting him into the cave but no dice. They changed the codes after Tim’s last visit. Because of that Jason could spin that clock all he wanted he wasn’t getting in.

Worth a try though.

And that’s basically how Bruce bumped into him, standing on a chair in front of the clock spinning the hands everywhere. The chair wobbled and Jay tried to get his balance back but he went too far back and was gonna crash into the ground, why did he pick such a stupidly high chair- When Bruce’s arms snagged around his waist and caught him. The chair toppled with a bang and Jason looked at it cringing. Whoops. Jason hung in Bruce’s arms like a child sized teddy bear, squished to his chest from the back, so he had to look up to see how mad Bruce got. He found Bruce staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Um. Hi boss. How’s things?”

He got a grunt in response.

Now, instead of putting him down like a normal person Bruce carried Jason all the way to the kitchen. Jason just let it happen. Both Bruce and Tim had the strangest need to pick him up like a cat out of the blue. Plus, he could sorta hear Bruce’s heartbeat, which was neat.

In the kitchen, instead of asking Jason what he was doing and why and getting knocked on the head for being a brat, Bruce simply made both of them some cereal and crunched at the thing in silence.

The old man sat with slumped shoulders, and stared bleary forward. Jason resisted pinching him to see if he’s alright. After five minutes of awkward silence he stood up on his chair and snapped his fingers in front of Bruce’s face. That seemed to work a bit, Bruce’s eyes widened a fraction.

“Something wrong Jay?”

“I uh. Are you alright Bruce? You look like an alley cat after a car hit it.”

Bruce’s eyebrows knit together. He seemed to be processing.

“That’s specific. I always assumed I’d look like a drowned rat more than anything.”

“Sureeee. Whichever one you prefer boss. What’s going on in the cave? I asked Alf to let me down but he said I have to ask you.”

“No. The cave is dangerous, and we’re working on a big case right now.”

That caught Jay’s interest. “You figure out why the mayor dropped dead yet?”

“He was murdered Jason, don’t talk like that.”

“The people on TV are calling him a lot worse than I am. “

Bruce sighed. “And we should be better than them. I need you to stay upstairs Jay, it’s safe here. I know you’re probably bored, I’m sorry.”

Jason shrugged. “It’s fine. Can’t really be bored with a gazillion books and things around.”

Bruce softened a little bit. “Maybe, but I am sorry. I don’t want you to be lonely. I’ve already arranged for someone to come keep you company in the meantime.”

“What? Bruceeee, I don’t need no babysitter! I’m fine here, really.”

“Consider it a favor for me. It would ease my mind a bit.”

Jason started getting ready to argue against it but snapped his jaw shut when he remembered how tired Bruce looked. Whatever the hell was going on, Jason didn’t want to add on to the trouble.

“Fine. Only cause you look like ready to fall over.”

Bruce gave him a small smile.

“Thank you Jay.”

He grabbed their bowls and left them in the sink. Jason was about to go back to his room when he realized Bruce was heading back to the cave.

“Hey! Where ya going?”

“Oh. The cave?”

“You can’t sleep down there, the bats will eat ya!”

Bruce smiled again. “They won’t. I’m working, remember?”

“The only work you should be doing is sawing logs. Alfie will kill ya if you fall asleep downstairs.”

Bruce bent down and ruffled Jason’s hair. “See you later Jay.” And the bastard turned right back to go to the cave.

Jason felt his cheeks puff up from embarrassment, why didn’t anyone ever listen to him? Hard way it was then.

He followed Bruce passed one of the couches in the hallway, climbed on it and threw himself at Bruce’s back. Bruce let out a grunt at the sudden impact and Jason wrapped his arms around his neck in victory.

“Jason? What are you doing?”

“Outsmarting you, duh. Can’t go to the cave if I’m coming with and I’m not letting go.” To emphasis his point his tightened his grip.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Jay. Please. I can’t lose time.”

“The only thing you’re good for like this is crackin’ your head open. Either you go to bed or I get to go to the cave.”

“Please.”

“No deal.”

Bruce sighed, long and deep. He tried unwrapping Jason’s hands but that just made Jay wrap his legs around too. And as a small child he knew how to be as annoying as possible. His arms were so tight Bruce would have to actually hurt him to get him off.

“Fine. Just a nap though.”

It was a win for Jason, and Bruce sighed all the way to his room. He seemed surprised Jason wasn’t letting him go once they reached the room but Jason wasn’t stupid. He knew the minute he turned around Bruce was heading downstairs. B muttered something about koalas and sat on the bed.

Jason climbed down to the bed but he held on to Bruce’s shirt. B sighed again and grabbed a blanket that he placed over them after the lied down. Jay watched Bruce’s back until the man’s breathing finally evened out and Jason made sure he was asleep. Successful, Jason slowly pulled the blanket off and snuck off back towards his office. 

He agreed to the babysitter, never said he wasn’t going to the cave.

He was about to pick up the chair when the clock started moving. Seeing his chance Jason crouched behind the chair and when Damian stepped through the door Jason jumped out and ran in behind him. Jason heard a muffled ‘ _Little brat_!’ as the door closed and he scampered down the steps.

The place was messy.

The big computer Tim had raved about was in pieces, boxes of weird metal parts everywhere. The whole big platform was just wires and tools. Jason was hoping to find what he was looking for on it, like he did last time, but that was a no go. Which made things a lot more complicated. Damian was coming down the steps fast but Jay needed time. Realizing he needed to hide, Jay scaled the boxes and hid on top of the computer screen, hoping the shadows covered him. He put a hand over his mouth to hide his breathing.

“Todd! Todd come out here this moment! Father banned you from coming down here.”

Like Jason didn’t know.

“I am serious. If I have to find you in this mess I will tie you to a chair upstairs and leave you in the woods. Todd!”

_Don’t laugh dammit, it’ll give you away._

“Fine. Hard way it is then.”

And that’s how Jason found himself stuck on a computer for fifteen minutes. At least watching Damian slowly become more annoyed was funny.

He checked all the boxes first, then went looking behind stuff. Then the walls for some reason. Jason didn’t even realize there were little caverns off to the side till Damian disappeared inside them. All the while he kept muttering something in Arabic, which was his first language apparently. It made even the curse words sound pretty.

This went on until Alfred’s voice suddenly rand out through the cave. Jason almost jumped from the shock. Turned out the voice came from the computer beneath him.

“Master Damian. I have returned from the airport, and it would appear your father is miraculously asleep. Do you mind coming to help with the luggage?”

Damian made his way over to the computer, which apparently still worked somehow, even if in pieces. “I’m afraid I can’t. Father’s newest little _angel_ snuck into the cave while I wasn’t looking and hid somewhere. “

“I’m assuming that to mean you can’t find him? My, my, Master Jason should give your enemies lessons on stealth if that’s true.”

Damian’s went a bit red. “He’s lucky I’m not at full capacity.”

“Well, I do believe I have a solution to your problem. Do come upstairs, and Master Jason, wherever you are lad, do be careful. Do not touch anything you do not know is safe, and do not make a mess. If I find you disobeying I’m going to schedule a triple dose of etiquette lessons. “

Gulp. That threat held five times more weight than anything Damian had thrown out.

The fancy people lessons were definitely the worst part of getting adopted. Apparently, now he had to act like a rich person or whatever. None of it made any sense, the rules didn’t have a point they just _were_. So far, the only thing that actually stuck with him a bit was the speech training. He still sounded like a crime alley kid but people seemed to understand him a bit better so there was that.

Everything else was a nightmare. If Jason had to carry any more books on his head he was gonna get a flat skull.

Rubbing a hand over his face Damian trudged up the stairs. Once the clock whirled shut and Jason made sure Damian wasn’t coming back he climbed down and went to work.

The added effect of watching Damian was that he knew exactly where the thing he was looking for went.

He ran across the mess, underneath the T-Rex and straight onto the upper platform. On it was a much smaller computer and a giant whiteboard, crisscrossed with photos and lines. A complete list of Tim’s crimes, and added were the new three murders.

It’s exactly what Jason thought.

He had hoped it wasn’t true, but even Jason could put together that the Blackgate poisonings were similar to the new ones. Which meant Tim probably did them. Which meant Tim was really pissed off.

Jason found the mix of feeling really weird. He was angry at him for the whole mess, but he was also kinda worried. The More news Jason watched the more he didn’t care the Mayor and his cronies were dead. All of em were awful people. But Tim was in real hot water for this one.

Besides the photos were notes, Bruce’s handwriting familiar and the other probably Damian’s. There was a ton of them, but two were circled in red. The first in Bruce’s handwriting, the second in Damian’s.

“The Mayor matches case 27. Senator Able matches 21 and Bill matches 18. “

“He was mixing the body types and wounds to see their effects on the poison spread. To see what mixed best. A never-perfect recipe. Poison seems to be a special mix.”

But they still couldn’t figure out how he did it. Not a single one of the victims ate anything poisoned during the event, their water bottles came back clean. On every photo they look perfectly fine, but ten minutes later they end up dead. And Tim wasn’t anywhere in the crowd.

Jason really wanted to talk with Tim again. This whole murder business was gonna drive Bruce and Damian insane. Jay knew the only reason Bruce was working so hard was cause it was his kid. He probably didn’t want to catch Tim at all, but being Batman and all, that would end up being twofaced of him.

This all got so stupid so fast.

Why couldn’t they just talk like normal people. But nooo, it has to be dramatic murder statements and building psychiatric hospitals. For people who obviously love each other they sure do hate saying it.

This was really bad though. And all cause Jason didn’t want a new family. It wasn’t fair, and thinking about it makes a dark little spot ache in his chest. He really wanted to stay. The house was huge and quiet, the food was amazing, Al was a badass and Jay wanted to hear more of his stories. Damian was a grump but he was pretty funny to annoy, plus he knew a lot of cool stuff. And Bruce was still sad. And kind. And he still wasn’t bored of Jason, and he hadn’t tried to hit him yet. After two months he probably wasn’t going to, and Jay knew that meant Bruce saw him as family. Jason liked that too.

So it wasn’t fair. But Tim was there first. And Jay was angry with him but he still gave Jason a lot. He was still the coolest person Jay knew. The murder was bad, but considering the mobs in Jason’s street dropped a body off at the river every week it didn’t bother Jason as much as it did Bruce. Probably a rich person thing.

Tim was just doing what the cops were too scared to do.

But it was hurting his family. And if it took Jason accepting that Goodwin deal to make him stop then Jason would do it. It wasn’t fair, but it was worth a shot. It's what Robin would do. He just had to get to Tim, which might be harder now that Bruce was getting him a babysitter. But eh, how bad could it be?

The clock door started moving.

Jason snapped out of his thoughts and ran back to the computer, making it just in time when three figures appeared at the base. The new person was a girl, shorter than Damian by a head.

“Miss Cassandra, if you would please fetch Master Jason so we can have dinner?”

The girl didn’t answer beyond a nod. She took a look around the platform and like a hawk zoomed into the shadows, looking directly at Jason at the computer top. Before Jason could even blink she appeared next to him and grabbed him by the middle, jumped off the top and presented him to Alfred like a prize.

“Very good Miss.”

“The computer top? I knew you were small Todd but I didn’t know you were bird sized. I’ll pay you back for wasting my time.”

Jason stuck his tongue out at him.

The girl holding him giggled and put him down, patting his head twice.

“Hello little brother. “ Her words were soft, slowly pronounced. She pointed to herself. “Cassandra.” And then she held out a hand for him to shake.

Confused, Jason did so. “Oh um. Hi. I’m Jason. Did you say brother?”

Damian’s suddenly happier tone made a chill run down Jason’s spine. “Yes Todd, Cassandra is family. She’s also your new babysitter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohh, look at me actually justifying that Casandra Cain tag.  
> \-----------------  
> The fact it has taken me this long to get to the main plot probably makes this a slow burn fic but eh.  
> \-----------------  
> BTW Jason is completely unaware he is more empathetic than the people around him. That's why parents bleed love to him, and other people don't quite see it as well. Definitely one of my favorite headcanons, so I put it in here.  
> \-----------------  
> Jason bullying Bruce into sleeping by being a koala has been in my head for a year and it is finally free. FINALLY.  
> \-----------------  
> People picking Jason up like a cat is my new aesthetic.  
> \-----------------  
> Till next time-


	17. When we look harder

Cassandra was Damian’s choice of successor.

Back when Damian couldn’t stand the thought of Tim taking his place, when Stephanie was still Batgirl, a girl had crashed into their lives very abruptly.

Literally.

She fell through the roof while fitting some thugs. She was small, mute and Damian underestimated her for a while, scoffing at every attempt Stephanie made to explain her potential. Then she flipped Damian on his head. Then Damian heard Cain’s daughter was missing. Then he realized the girl had come looking for them. More accurately, his father.

Stephanie took to her like wildfire. She gave her a name, read every book on speech impairment she could, made sure to include her in anything and everything. Bruce had signed Cassandra’s papers easily, impressed by her and horrified by her past. But Damian always felt Cass was more Stephanie’s than Bruce’s. She was also Tim’s, because Stephanie connected the two quickly. Tim focused a lot on introducing modern concepts to her. Any show she loves comes with a ‘ _Tim showed me that_ ’ tag with it.

Damian stayed as far away as he could. His contact with the new family member was strictly newspaper articles and Stephanie’s chatter.

Things changed when Drake suddenly quit. A spat with his family and the next thing on the news was the spunky girl Robin, and the very scary looking Batgirl. Damian remembers those bloody headlines word for word.

“GIRL WONDER TAKES THE SCENE?”

“PHOTO SHOWS BLOND ROBIN!”

“ROBIN AND BATGIRL SAVE THE COMMISIONER”

“DARK KNIGHT AND GIRL WONDER RETURN THE RIDDLER TO ARKHAM!”

“BATMAN AND BATGIRL SEEN CHASING BLACK MASK”

“BATGIRL DELIEVERS A BARLEY BREATHING SIONIS TO POLICE”

“ROBIN NOT SEEN FOR MONTHS!”

“ROBIN RETURNS! GIRL WONDER JUST A STAND-IN?”

“WE MISSED YOU ROBIN!”

Stephanie would have found whoever wrote that stand-in comment just so she could put whipped cream all over his desk. Except Stephanie ended up in a coma. A price she paid for trying to tackle Gotham’s mob alone. A coma, five broken bones, burned skin, bruised organs, ripped off fingernails and a list of bruises and cuts. They barley saved her life.

Tim returned out of grief and guilt. Cassandra stuck around for the return but left soon after, leaving the only home she had known because it hurt too much to fly besides a Robin that wasn’t hers.

For whatever reason, she fled to Bludhaven, banged on Damian’s door and without a word convinced him to let her in. She was dripping wet from the storm outside, shivering and red eyed.

Damian felt a lot like her on the inside.

He handed her towels and blankets, a change of clothes and time. Stephanie made it very clear Cassandra wasn’t a verbal person. She deserved time. Only after they ate and the lightning stopped roaring did she speak, covered in a blankets and looking smaller than Damian ever remembered her being.

“Stephanie. Told me to come here. If I-” she waved her hand up and down. “Said you’d help. Said you’d hide.”

“Hide? From who?”

Her eyes downturned as she whispered: “Everyone.”

She officially moved in the next day, getting her own room next to Damian’s. It had been tough at first. Damian learned she preferred ASL more often than not and that everything she did was extremely quiet. She stuck to her room a lot then. If it weren’t for the dishes she left in the sink Damian could have sworn he had lived alone.

He had only begun to bond with his sister when she decided to watch him train. The more she watched him go through forms the more her lips thinned and her eyebrows scrunched together. Finally, losing patience, she jumped up.

“No, no, no. Wrong.”

“Excuse me?”

“Leg is wrong.“

“Are you actually correcting me on a League technique? You do know whose son I am, no?”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. Instead of answering she repeated his form and every single step bled precision. On the middle step she made a point of emphasizing how far her leg went, showing the shorter distance.

“Like that.”

“There is nothing wrong with my way. My legs a longer, the distance can be adjusted.”

“Wrong.”

Damian was getting annoyed by the younger girl’s comments and went to turn around when she said: ”Try.”

And Damian did, if only to prove a point. Only to find the shorter distance did make up for a lot of the later movement speeds. And Cassandra smiling like the Cheshire Cat at him from the side.

They trained together after that. Communication became easier with time. Damian watched Cassandra’s form and thought of ballerinas doing complex plays. She hugged him and called him brother the night he took her to her first ballet show. She glared at him when she stitched his wounds. She cried on his shoulder when Stephanie’s mother called to tell them nothing had changed. She bought him baklava the night she asked to go out into the streets with him.

“Bribery. I see you’re learning quickly. To be honest, I would probably agree without it as well. I could use help.”

Cassandra was beyond capable for their life, even if she deserved far better.

She beamed at him and hugged him again, leaving Damian flustered at the sudden affection. He pat her shoulder twice.

“Nightwing and Batgirl has a ring to it as well.”

Cassandra let go. She shook her head furiously.

“No, no. No Batgirl.”

“Why not?”

“Not without her.”

Damian bit his tongue.

“Well. There is one name you could use.”

Damian also remembered that headline clearly.

“NIGHTWING AND BLACK BAT STOP ROBBERY!”

It’s framed in his Titans room.

She was really the only reason Damian ever saw Tim. They’d visit each other often, and eventually ended up on the same Young Justice team. Things were calming down for a bit.

Much later, far too late, Damian would learn that Bruce closed off a lot of high tier files out of fear that another one of his kids goes rouge like Steph did. An act Tim saw as Bruce calling him incompetent and unworthy. A tension that led Tim into an area he wasn’t allowed in, unaware it was the Joker’s latest hideout, looking for evidence. A tragedy of errors that left a gaping wound where Steph’s fate had only just begun to scar.

Cassandra more or less moved in with the team after that. Keeping Tim’s legacy together as best she could.

Damian still trusted her with his whole heart.

That’s why he knew she was the absolute best choice to watch over their new bird.

A statement confirmed when she gave her report at the end of day one.

“Tried to escape.”

His father stopped reconnecting circuit boards to look at Cassandra.

“Escape? The manor?”

She nodded yes.

“That’s strange. He’s never tried running away after the first week. Are you sure he wasn’t just going to the garden?”

“Through window?”

Bruce sighed. He turned to the upper platform where Damian was endlessly staring at their case files.

“Any idea why he’d fly the coup Damian?”

“Maybe he wishes to join the circus father.”

Bruce’s eyebrow raise screamed _‘really? That’s your best shot?’_

Cassandra was a bit more expressive. She shook her head.

“No. Too small. Too cute. “ She sternly looked at Bruce with a raised finger. “No circus. Safe here.”

Bruce gave her a little smile, and it was still strange to see father expressing anything other than dread.

“We’re not giving him to the circus Cassandra. Did he tell you why he wants to leave?”

She shook her head no.

“Hmm. Maybe he’s testing you. He only started trying once you showed up. He’s also weary around strangers. He’ll warm up to you. Keep catching him in the meantime.”

Receiving her orders Cassandra nodded and bounded up the stairs.

Damian watched her leave and wondered how angry Todd was getting every time she caught him. The child was very proud of his skills, be it his knowledge of the streets or his escape artist abilities. Getting bested this easily is probably ruffling the little bird’s feathers.

“You can go with her as well Damian.”

Damian snapped his attention to Bruce.

“Tsk. Nonsense. One is more than enough to keep the child in line. I have work.”

“We’ve come as far as we can get with the case files. Staring at them is a pointless waste of time. Go and see your sister, I know it’s been a while.”

“There will be time for that after-“

“I would also quite like to know why Jason keeps running away. Cassandra isn’t the detective that you are. “

Damian still hesitated. But he really was sick of looking at these papers.

Tim’s actions remained unpredictable beyond the most basic elements. At least they finally understand why he kept mixing different wounds and different lowlife. Jason’s comment about mixing ingredients got Damian to test the poison traces to see how they mimicked Delphinium poison. Turned out, Timothy somehow recreated the behavior of Delphinium but made it more stable. A fast acting poison, whose spread through the system depended on body type and wound type.

A poison most people found undependable, Timothy tested to unbelievable use.

He wondered if Tim had been to that Victorian exhibit. If that’s how he got the idea.

Nevertheless, that still didn’t help them. Not a single trace of Delphinium was found anywhere other than the bodies. Timothy wasn’t anywhere near the event itself, or so the millions of photos show. 

The only thing they could do was look for him on foot.

“Fine. But only until patrol.”

He tried not to run up the stairs.

Damian remembers his father’s attempts to introduce him to pop culture when he was a child. One of those was a show called The Twilight Zone. A collection of black and white episodes that didn’t connect, whose premise was always testing the viewer’s sense of reality. 

Watching Cassandra interact with Jason was like watching that show.

The two were in Jason’s preferred room, the library. Luckily for Damian that room had about three different camera angles. His father probably meant for him to actually be in the room but Jason would stop acting suspicious the minute Damian walked in.

So, Damian was in father’s office, watching a strange silent show.

Not that he didn’t have sound.

The two just didn’t talk at all.

Jason didn’t know ASL, so verbal should be the only method of communication. Except that would be too normal for the Wayne household.

No, the two seemed to communicate purely in facial expression.

Jason kept pretending to read his book while Cassandra painted her nails in ten different colors. The second Jason looks up she does too. The child would look away. Repeat five times. Finally, he bit his lip and angled his head while looking at her. She smiled and pointed at the bottles then at the unpainted nails. The child would raise his eyebrows in confusion. He would point at one bottle and then at both his hands. She’d pout and shake her head no. Jason went back to his book confused. Cassandra would start painting. And in a blink the kid would jump up, running for the door. Damian realized the child thought she’d be too distracted to catch him.

Cassandra held the brush in her mouth, tackled the kid like a cheetah and dragged him back with the unpainted hand. Then she would drop him like a sack onto the couch and continue like nothing at all had happened. Jason’s entire face went red, either from anger or embarrassment. His shoulders went to his ears and he crossed his arms over his chest, kicking his feet against the couch.

A variation of the escape would happen another two times.

Damian was glad he remembered to hit record.

While the show was highly entertaining Damian was learning nothing at all about Jason’s motivation. He did have enough evidence to ask however. So, Damian entered the Twilight Zone himself. He found Jason completely abandoned his book. He was glaring daggers at Cassandra. She wasn’t even slightly fazed.

“Something the matter Todd? Are you having fun with your new babysitter?”

The brat puffed in Damian’s direction.

“You guys are cheating! When Bruce said babysitter I thought you were getting me a human, not a robot.”

“I assure you, Cassandra is human.”

“A ha. Sure. She fuc-frickin’ moves before I even stand up. It’s impossible!”

“At least your language is improving.”

“Shut up. I’m not gonna swear in front of a girl. That’s rude.”

Well, at least he has some manners, even if they are ill defined.

“I though you said she was a robot.”

He gave Damian the driest look.

“A girl robot, duh.”

Damian saw Cassandra’s shoulders shake with mirth.

“Is your hatred of robot kind the reason you keep trying to run away?”

Jason’s mouth went wide open. He then went to glare at Cassandra.

“I knew it! You were sending them messages this entire time. Knew she was a robot.”

Cassandra brought her pointer finger to her nose and made a shush sound.

“Is that why you don’t talk? Someone didn’t make you right?”

Cassandra’s face fell. She shook her head no.

“I can talk.”

“Does it hurt or somethin’?”

She shrugged. “Hard.”

Jason bit his cheek before nodding. “Ok. How do you talk then?”

She quickly signed in ASL. Jason turned to Damian confused.

“It’s American Sign Language. She’s forming signs with her fingers. Like letters and words. She just said ‘Like this.’ ”

“Oh. That’s kinda cool.”

Cassandra smiled at him. “Very.”

“Cassandra’s origin aside, I know you were running Todd because I’ve been watching the camera feed. Now, talk.”

The kid huffed and crossed his arms, looking away. No answer.

Cassandra subtly signed out ‘Anxious. Worried. “

Huh. He looked more petulant than anything.

“If you don’t give me a reason Cassandra and I will have no choice but to lock you in a room for your own safety.”

Jason raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, right.”

“Or I shall simply get Pennyworth to deal with you. I’m sure he has ways to keep you occupied.”

The kid growled at him. Cassandra signed ‘bull’s-eye’.

“Fine! I just want to take a walk! Is that a crime?”

‘Lying.’

“A walk? If that’s all I’m sure Pennyworth would have let you out into the woods.”

“…I’m tired of the woods. I wanna go into town, I’ve been cooped up here for ages.”

‘Lying.’

True, he was lying. But he did want to go into town. If they were going to get anywhere they’d have to play along.

“Alright. We’ll go.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yes. Any specific place in mind?” The child brightened like Christmas had come early.

“Yeah. I want ice cream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 uploads in a day's time? It's more possible than you think.  
> \-------------------------  
> The Cass and Jason scene, translated:  
> Why do you have so many bottles? 
> 
> One color for every finger! 
> 
> What? You're supposed to use one color for both hands! 
> 
> Why? That's so boring! 
> 
> Robots are so weird-
> 
> \-------------------------  
> And with this chapter I have basically covered all our main family members I think!  
> Here's the rundown:  
> Damian => Black Bat =>Nightwing  
> Stephanie =>Batgirl =>Robin (for a few months)=>coma  
> Tim=>Black Bat for like a week=>Robin =>JJ=>Red Hood  
> Cass=>Orphan=>Batgirl (for a few months)=>Black Bat   
> \-------------------------  
> Alternatively:
> 
> Black Bat: Damian=>Tim=>Cass  
> Robin:Tim=>Steph  
> Batgirl:Steph=>Cass  
> Nightwing:Damian
> 
> This long note is for the whole one(1) of you that cares about things like this.  
> \-------------------------  
> Till next time-


	18. What we do is what we are

Damian pilled Jason and Cass into a gorgeous Ford. Jason almost forgot to admire the car for how giddy he was feeling. He wanted to kiss the top of Damian’s gelled head. He swooped in like the hero he is and solved basically all of Jason’s immediate problems.

Excuse to leave? Solved. Way out of house? Solved? Robot babysitter? Solved. Transport to the ice cream place? Solved _in style._

He didn’t forget too. The seats were heated. Fucking. Heated.

The dash was all black, the steering wheel a pure white, basically everything was covered in screens, there was even a-

“Todd if you do not stop breathing down my neck I will strap you into a boosted seat.”

Oh. He basically climbed onto Damian’s seat from behind. Whoops. Cass grinned at him in the rearview mirror.

The ride passed in a flash, and Jason found himself standing in front of 77 Wishes once again. Cass seemed excited too. She grabbed Jason’s hand and dragged him over to the sea of flavors.

“Pick.”

Jason eyed the weird colors and pointed to the strawberry. She kept staring at him. He cocked his head in confusion. She waved her hand in a ‘go on’ gesture. Jason shook his head no, he didn’t want anymore. Her lower lip jutted out, pouting at Jason’s lack of enthusiasm.

The ice cream guy showed up and Cass order for them.

“One strawberry. “ She lifted her index finger up. “One pistachio.” Her middle finger went up. The ice cream guy nodded. “And whole first row.” She spread all of her fingers open.

The ice cream guy and Jason both looked at her with wide eyes.

“The…the whole first row miss? That’s almost twenty flavors.”

She nodded. The ice cream guy looked to Jason, Jason shrugged.

“Al..right. Let me get right on that.” As he went round the back Jason heard ‘ _STACY! GET THE HELL OUT HERE I NEED HELP ASAP.’_ Come from the poor ice cream guy. Jason thought about asking why the fuck she needed 20 ice cream scoops but remembered she’s a robot. Maybe she’s fueled by the stuff, Jason can’t judge.

Damian took one look at Cass’s huge grin and pinched the bridge of his nose immediately.

“Why must you torment me? Can’t we once have a normal outing, which doesn’t involve maxing one of father’s credit cards?”

Cass leaned over the table and flicked him in the forehead. Damian sighed miserably.

Jason leaned his head on his hand and watched as the ice cream guy slowly had a nervous breakdown behind the counter. He got this far, the next step was a bit trickier.

He needed a way to slip away from Cass and Damian. Once he finds Tim he’ll ask him to message them he’s safe. He’ll come back to the manor with Tim once he clears the whole mess up. Tim apologizes for being a jerk, Bruce apologizes for the whole Joker mess, Damian apologizes for being Damian and everyone finally comes home. Well, Jason might end up with the Goodwins but that’s a later problem.

The problem was slipping away from a robot and a ninja.

He thought about it even when their ice cream finally started arriving. And continued arriving. And didn’t stop arriving.. The entire table was nothing but ice cream. It was fucking incredible. Finally, ice cream guy placed the final bowl in front of Jason, visibly deflating once it was done.

“En…joy…” He dragged himself away.

Jason started to reach for his bowl but-“Um. Which one of these is strawberry?”

“Yes Cassandra, which one of these is anything really? There’s five pink ones, and three red ones. And four green ones. Which ones are ours?”

Cassandra looked over her huge collection and shrugged. She signed something to Damian. Damian sighed.

“She says we’ll just have to try everything as well.”

And God, Jason didn’t know half of these flavors existed. Cotton Candy? How do you make that a flavor? One looked like strawberry but it was _sour._ Jason hates sour. He pushed that one to a giggling Cass immediately. Cola was at least understandable. Though, why someone would waste an entire bottle of soda on ice cream was beyond Jason.

Eventually, he found strawberry and looked up to see Cass filled her bowl with every color under the sun.

“You like?”

“Um. Yeah.”

She hummed. “Which?”

Jason pointed the ones that didn’t physically hurt to eat. She nodded and reached for three different bowls. “Try.”

Jason was skeptical but all the ones she picked were pretty interesting. One was pure blue, which didn’t seem healthy at all, but it was tasty. In turn Jason pushed every sour one to Cass. Damian gave up after finding his original choice and went to scroll on his phone. This went on until all that was left of the ice cream was cream soup and dirty bowls.

Jason realized he forgot to figure out an escape plan. Cass’s game distracted him. Damian bought him some time when he went to the bathroom but no matter what Jason figured out Cass seemed to focus in on him.

He started tapping one of the bowls when inspiration struck.

Pushing the bowl he was holding towards Cass he pushed the entire row along with it, ending with the one at the edge falling over, straight onto Cass’s lap. The uneaten melted ice cream splashed all over her jeans, creating big clatter along with it. He timed it just as the ice cream guy was handling the tab with Cass, right at that very edge. The ice cream guy went as blue as the flavor Jason had tried. He apologized ten times, handed her napkins and started cleaning the floor all at once. 

Cass just sorta shrugged and tried rubbing it out but gave up.

“You should put water on it Cass. So you can get it out later.”

Cass shrugged. As if she didn’t care one bit. Jason tried again.

“The bathroom is over there. I’ll wait with Damian.”

Cass cocked her at him. And said nothing. Her dark brown eyes not even slightly annoyed or angry. She shrugged.

Fuck, it failed.

He hoped she’d give him just a minute to get out the door and into the alley but no dice. This was bad. If he didn’t get out now he wasn’t gonna get another chance like this in ages. Panic coiling in his gut Jason flinched when Damian sat suddenly across from them.

“Cassandra. What did you do to yourself?”

Cass shrugged. She signed something and stood up, leaving for the bathroom. Jason understood she hadn’t wanted to leave him alone. She was one dedicated nanny.

Well, he had one more shot. He could try running in the parking lot and hoping to lose them in the alleyways. Chances were slim but he literally had no other option.

He also noticed some of the ice cream got on his shoes.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry up Todd. We’ve been in this gaudy place long enough.”

Turned out, the ice cream had been the answer to all his prayers.

Because the bathroom had a window.

A small, high up horizontal opening. Which just so happened to be exactly Jason’s size. Working quick, Jason climbed on top of the radiator and jumped for the ledge. He reached for the handle and-

It wouldn’t open.

He tugged, he pushed, he almost broke the damn handle off but the thing was locked somehow. He knocked his head against the wall. So close, so damn close.

He couldn’t break it, everyone would come running after him. Maybe he could take the whole thing off? But he’d need a screwdriver. Where would he get a screwdriver in an ice cream shop-

He was about to knock his head again when the cabinets caught his eye. Ma Gunn kept pipe tools and stuff in her cabinets. She was too lazy to properly store them somewhere. Jason’s chances of there being anything useful in these cabinets were bordering on miracle.

He didn’t have anything to lose though. So, he looked. Soap. Paper towels. Cleaning stuff. Tool set. Mop.

Wait. Tool set?

Fuck. Yes.

77 Wishes is Jason’s absolute favorite place on Earth, miracles really do come true in it.

He felt like cackling the entire time he removed the window.

Freedom tasted as sweet as sky blue ice cream.

He traced the route Tim had showed him back then and ended up at the photo place out of breath. He really needs to start exercising again. The alley was different though. There was box in front of the shop door. On it he found a note.

‘Dear Little Red,

Wave to the camera! That’s me. Drop your jacket and shoes into the box and come on in.

R.H.’

The hell? Above him a whirling noise started up. A small camera started moving from left to right quickly, stopping back at Jason. Jason waved back.

Right, Hood always planned everything. Dropping the jacket and slipping out of the dirty sneakers he closed the box and the thing made a buzzing sound. Jason finally used the front panel and entered Hood’s shop.

The place was chaotic. Half the boxes were spilled on the floor, the kitchen looked like something set it on fire and there were takeout cartons everywhere. But no Tim.

“Downstairs Jay!”

Jason found Tim in a lab coat and goggles playing around with some weird green liquids down in what Jason dubbed ‘Tim’s Hoodcave’. It looked a lot like the Batcave lab did, just really red. Tim was also just Tim this time, no makeup or green hair to be found.

“Tim?”

Tim put the beakers away and pushed the goggles into his hair.

“Hello Jason. I wasn’t expecting you. “

“What? Then why’s there a box out front?”

“Oh, I saw you coming on the security cameras. They send me a nifty little alert if someone I know is in the area.”

“How do they know?”

“They scan the faces of people who get caught on feed. It’s a rather interesting design, comparing bone structure and- Well, I’ll show you another time. It’s just something that occupied my endless free time in Arkham.”

“Huh. Well, I came to talk to ya Hood. You’re in trouble.”

Tim blinked at him. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“No, I mean it! Bruce and Damian basically live in the cave trying to figure out where you are. They figured out you did the recent poisonings and they really aren’t happy ‘bout it.”

“Firstly, I am completely innocent. Until proven guilty. Secondly, those two aren’t ever happy, let alone at the same time. If that happened Darkside would probably invade out of fear of it happening again.”

“I’m serious Hood, you gotta stop.”

Tim cocked his head at Jay, and Jason now saw it was exactly how Cass did it, and removed the gloves he was wearing. Something like shock crossed it and then he knelt in front of Jason and poked his nose.

“You’re worried about me, aren’t you little chipmunk? You came all this way just to warn me? I thought you hated me now.”

“You’re a jerk but I don’t hate ya..” Jason huffed. “ And why would I worry about a jerk like you.”

“Oh. Then you came here because?”

“Because! Um. “ Jason bit his cheek, “ ‘Cause I came to tell you I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“If gettin’ taken in by the Goodwins is what it takes for you to stop I’ll do it. They don’t have anythin’ on you yet, I saw the files. You can still come home. You can be angry at me all you want, just let Bruce off the hook. I was the one that asked to stay.”

Tim studied him for a long while. Jason kept eye contact the whole time.

“You’re serious. Aren’t you?”

Jason nodded.

“But you called them family. Why do you now want to leave?”  
  


“I don’t. But they need you, not me. Bruce is still sad, Damian never talks about you cause it hurts him, I can’t. I can’t fix it alone. They can get better but. They need you. And you need to get home so people can tell you when you’re being stupid.”

Tim smiled. Jason never saw him look so sad.

“Oh. I see. I- Thank you Jason. For offering. You’re a very kind kid you know that?” He ruffled Jason’s hair. “But that’s ok. You can stay with Bruce, I’m not mad. I just…. Thought Bruce and I had an understanding. That his life would be too dangerous for you, that we couldn’t repeat the past.

But. I guess things changed when I wasn’t there. Or maybe I just never knew him that well. But he let me down. And fixing it would mean hurting you and it’s not worth it.

And what’s happening now isn’t about just you anymore.

It’s about Gotham. Bruce has proven he can’t handle responsibility like that anymore. He’s been through too much to be objective anymore. And he refuses to see it. “

Tim got up and shrugged the lab coat off, revealing a pair of jeans and a yellow hoody.

“So, I’ll fix that instead. I’ll make Gotham into something easier to protect. Something safer. Something where no Robin will ever lose its wings again. A place where my family- our family- will be free of these cycles of crime and hate.”

Jason jumped in. “But if they catch ya you’ll never come home! Scum like the mayor ain’t worth you getting locked away. It’s stupid! And it’ll just make B and the others more sad.“

“They’ve been quite alright without me. You’re helping them.”

“I’m not what they want.”

“Neither was I.”

Jason thumped his foot in frustration. “Ahh. Why are all of you so stupid? Why is everything so stupid?”

Tim huffed out a laugh. “Frustrating, isn’t it?”

There was no convincing him. No matter what Jay added Tim would just refute with a better argument or ignore him. But, he could try a newly learned technique he got from bullying Bruce around.

“Fine. You go on and be stupid. But. You said we’re family now.”

“I suppose so, Bruce’s paperwork went through after all. We’re officially step siblings.”

“So that makes me your brother.”

Tim smiled softly. “If you want to be.”

“Then don’t get caught. No matter what you pull. Cause if you get caught I’ll have to break you out. You don’t want me turning to a life of crime do ya?”

Tim looked a bit funny and then he laughed. “No, I suppose not.”

“Good. So we have a deal. You come home once this bull is over. We’ll bully Bruce into forgivin’ ya.”

“I think I have a stint in Arkham first.”

“We’ll convince him out of that too.”

“You are very confidante in your Batman bullying technique.”

“It’s called Alfred.”

“Ah. Smart. Come on Little Red, let’s get you some shoes. Can’t have you catching a cold.”

“Why did you take my shoes anyway?”

“Trackers. Bruce always puts them in jackets and shoes for the kids. The box is specially designed to send false signals to the tracker so right now it looks like you’re walking towards the opposite end of town. It even erased you stopping at this shop. “

“Oh. You really do think of everythin’.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse. “ They made their way up the stairs. “How did you get here anyway?“

“I convinced Damian and Cass to get me ice cream. Snuck out of the bathroom window.”

Tim completely stopped moving. He looked at Jason with wide eyes.

“Did you say Cassandr-“

A shadow fell from the ceiling pulling Tim away from Jason. The blur slammed Tim into a wall with a loud bang. She tried pinning him but Tim pushed off the wall and spun into a leg sweep. Cass jumped over it and went in for a gut punch which Tim blocked. She successfully slammed her other arm into his shoulder, but she got a knee to the stomach in return.

The fight moved into the living room where all the boxes were. They fought so quickly Jason couldn’t really see the movements as much as hear every impact. He could tell Cassandra was getting in more hits though. She kept pushing him further and further back, soon she’d pin Tim in a corner.

But then Tim reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a metal tube that extended into a staff. Cass’s stance immediately changed, and so did the fight. Instead of getting pushed around Tim pushed her back towards the middle. She kept trying to get hits in but Tim constantly stayed out of reach. He used her failed strikes to hit her arms and legs, jumping around her constantly, keeping her routed on the spot.

But Cass wasn’t giving up. She waited for Tim to appear in front of her and with both hands grabbed onto the staff bringing the two face to face.

“Now Cass don’t-“  
She slammed her head into his nose so hard Jason winced. She finally had the staff and pointed it at Tim.

“Give up.”

Tim chuckled weakly from where he was sprawled on the floor, holding his bloody nose. “No, don’t think I will sis. Release 44.”

The staff crackled, electricity flowing through it visibly sending sparks. Cassandra screamed out and fell to the floor.

Jason stared at the scene from the entryway, feeling a soft breeze flow in through the front door Cassandra had broken.

“Well fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass knew full well who threw that ice cream bowl. Jason's lucky she wasn't wearing her favorite jeans.  
> \------------------  
> Damian went into the bathroom with the sole purpose of locking the window down just in case. He absolutely wanted to scream into the void when he saw the kid somehow took the whole fucking thing down.  
> \------------------  
> My first ever hand to hand fight scene. Here's to hoping it made sense.  
> \------------------  
> Till next time-


	19. What now?

“Holy shit is she ok?”

“She’s fine. I’m the one that’s got a broken nose.”

“She dropped like a sack of rocks!”

“Believe me, it just knocked her out.”

Tim reset his nose with a crunch and hissed at the pain.

“Ugh. She always goes for my face. It’s unbelievable.”

Jason just stared in bewilderment. Why the hell was Tim so ok with almost getting the snot beaten out of him? Why did Cass just jump out of the shadows? How the hell did she even find them?

Tim limped over to the bathroom and Jay was left with the unconscious Cass. She fell kinda funny, half against one of Tim’s boxes. Jay first nudged the staff away from her with his foot and then pushed her up into a sitting position. Or well, her tried picking her up and failed miserably so he settled for a sitting position.

She was breathing fine, and she didn’t seem to be hurt. Tim came back with a bandaged nose and an annoyed twitch in his eyebrow.

“Look at my door. Look at what she did to my poor door. The traps, the locks, she just ripped through them- I gave her that hacking device for her birthday! “

“Um, Hood. I think we have bigger fish to fry.”

Tim sighed. “Right. I’ll lament later. Throw me her phone.”

Jason grabbed her bright yellow phone and gave it to Tim. Outside, Tim started messing around with his funky signal box and Jason checked out the damaged door. _How the hell did she punch through this?_

“Hey Jay? Why are your shoes covered in blue?”

“Um, I spilled some ice cream. Why?”

Tim looked at the alley behind them.

“Did it, just maybe, occur to you that the trail of blue you left behind you might be slightly suspicious? “

Jason’s head snapped up to the alley. True enough, there was a faint trail of blue droplets leading into the street.

“There is no way she saw that! It’s barley there.”

Tim raised his eyebrow at him. “Right. She’d have to be trained by Batman or something.”

Jason’s facepalm echoed across the alley.

After cleaning the trail, patching up the door and finally getting Jason some new shoes the two turned to Cassandra.

“What now?”

“Well. I could use your help. Hold her arm out for me.”

With Jason holding her arm out Tim easily scooped her up in a bridal carry and the two went down the stairs. Jay held the Hoodcave door open and clicked a row of buttons Tim told him to that lit up a glass box. It had a bed inside, a weird door and nothing else. Tim gently placed her onto it.

“Stay with her for a moment. Check her pulse too.”

Jason jumped to the task while Tim walked outside the box.

"Um, what am I checking for Hood?"

"Is it there?"

"Well duh."

"Great."

And then Tim shut the glass door and locked it.

Jason stared in disbelief before anger took over. He ran to door and started banging on it.

“Why’d you lock it!? Let us out jackass!”

Tim at least had the decency to look sorry.

“Can’t do that Little Red. The second I let Cass out of here the entire Bat colony will descend on my shop. I’m not done here yet.”

“Why’d you lock me in then?”

“It’s just for a little bit, promise. I need to finish my experiment, and believe me, the inside of that cell is a lot safer than out here.”

“Why do you even have a cell!”

“Um, cause I’m the bad guy?”

Jason audibly groaned. “How did I ever think you’re scary? My teacher had better villain monologues.”

“I'll have you know my monologues are fantastic. I’m just not wasting them on an unappreciative chipmunk.”

“The second I’m out of her I’m rebreaking your nose.”

“Brat.”

Tim went back to playing with his beakers and Jason found a new mission in his life. Be as annoying as possible. He was pretty sure Tim wouldn’t hurt him, and the jerk didn’t give him anything to do. So, he banged on the wall, he whistled, he retold Tim his thoughts on The Little Prince five times. Now he’s moved on to commentating.

“Wow Tim, is this really how you spend your Saturdays.

Cause this is sad.

It’s a good thing you don’t have henchmen, they’d all just laugh at you behind your back.

Oh hey, you dropped a beaker. Yep, right there in the middle of the green goop. Good job.

Would it kill you to dust this place from time to time? I swear you’ve got Catwoman stuck in one of those cobwebs.

Did I ever tell ya you look like a young Lois Lane?”

The bastard didn’t even twitch. Or maybe he did, Tim was too far away to tell. Hood moved on to playing with envelopes and then disappeared up the stairs with a bunch of them. He was gone for a while. Jay used the opportunity to look around.

The Hoodcave was basically a large lab. No fun stuff like Bruce’s T-Rex, just a really big computer, a bunch of tables with parts on them and a separate area for the chemical stuff. The glass box was in one of the room corners, large enough not to be stuffy. Two doors, one to the stairs and one to the sewers. A lot of the room seemed empty. Maybe all the boxes upstairs should have been down there?

Tim came back holding three bags of takeout, humming something unfamiliar. He pushed the door open a crack and threw the food in before slamming it shut again. Before Jason could tell him where he could stuff the food, the computer lit up and started ringing. Tim sauntered over and answered.

“Gosh Bruce you’re getting clingy. Schedule the next family reunion in two months and I’ll think about it.”

“Where are they Tim.”

“Who? Did Damian’s cat run away again? Always did say that cat was the smartest of us.”

“They have nothing to do with this. Cass wasn’t looking for you, she was watching Jason.”

“And what a _marvelous_ job she did. “

“Tim.”

“What? She’s watching him right now. Or well, she will when she wakes up. Semantics.” Tim waved his hand dismissively.

“Anyway Bruce, this is better. Maybe some extra motivation will get you on the right path. I’d turn on the news if I were you. Something interesting might be on.”

Jason banged on the glass wall as hard as he could. “Bruce! Your kid’s a jackass!” But no reaction came.

“I’ll find you Tim. But I won’t be able to protect you this time. Gordon is demanding they put you in Arkham proper. “

“Whatever for? Not like I did anything.”

“This isn’t a joke Tim. This is your life. And you’re losing control of it with every life you take.”

Hood laughed. “Hah! That’s ironic.” He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye “A lecture on controlling my life from a man who built everything he is on his parent’s graves. How about you stick to your night job detective. Leave the inspiring speeches to Superman.”

And with that Tim clicked off the phone call.

“Well Little Red, it looks like I will be getting that stint in Arkham after all. Think they’ll put me in Joker’s old cell? Though I do hear Harley’s occupying that at the moment.”

“How come you hear me but he didn’t?”

“Ah, fancy technology and all. With a little click of a button all sound from inside that box goes-“, he raised his hands in fists and opened them in a wave,“ poof. “

Oh that’s just fucking great. Jason kicked the door as hard as he could. It took all the stamina he got on the street not to crumble as his leg throbbed.

“It’s also pretty much indestructible material. Just saying.”

Ok, that was it. Jason was officially over this entire thing. He could sorta understand knocking Cass out, she did hit first, but the whole glass cage is Two Face levels of dramatic. He gave Tim one final glare and turned his back, walked over to the corner besides Cass’s bed and sat in it, face firmly facing the wall.

Tim actually snickered, but he didn’t comment.

For the next fifteen minutes Jason heard clicking and clanking, glass being moved around, something breaking and Tim sighing. Cass’s breathing was soft and steady, a calming sound to Jason’s annoyed silence. Footsteps then, and a tapping on the glass.

“Come on Jay. Time to go.”

Jason didn’t twitch. Tim tapped the glass again.

“Aw, come on Jay. I’m sorry for locking you in. I know chipmunks are free roaming creatures but it really wasn’t safe out here.

Jayyyyy-

I know you’re angry but you can be angry outside too.”

Tim tapped the glass repeatedly.

Then stopped. Then started again. Jason refused to move from his spot, but the tapping was starting to grate on his nerves. It bounced around the box loudly.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

_Nope, not moving._

Tap. Tap. Tap.

_Grit your teeth Todd._

Tap. Tap.

…

**TAP.**

Jason threw his shoe at him. It banged into the glass exactly where Tim’s face was.

Tim looked at the sorry shoe sighing. The tapping stopped. The glass door swished open and footsteps came closer to Jay’s huddled form. Hands slid around his waist and with a shout Jay was suddenly hanging over Tim’s shoulder.

Tim closed the box once the two got out and left the sleeping Cass alone. They walked up to the main floor and Tim put the hissing Jason down on the couch. Jason spit out every single Spanish swear he learned from his neighbors at the teen.

“I have the feeling if I knew any Spanish I’d be pretty offended right now.”

“You and three generations of your ancestors.”

“Fair enough.” Tim went in for another hair ruffle but Jay snapped his teeth at him.

“Ok, what will it take for you to stop hissing at me?”

Jason glared at him. “A phone call. I wanna call Bruce.”

Tim put his fist to his mouth in a thinker pose. Two minutes later he gave Jason a burner cell. It only had one number in it, so Jason called that. Tim sat next to him, blank faced.

“Who is this?” Bruce’s voice was harsh and cold. Jason had never heard it like that.

“Um, it’s Jason. But if you’re busy I can call later?”

“Jason! Where are you, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I went to find Tim and Cass musta followed me. You shoulda seen them B, it was so cool- The fight part not the knocking out part. I’ll tell you about it later. Anyway, since Tim was being a jerk he didn’t tell you we’re fine. “

“Jason. I need you to focus. Are you trapped? Can you get out?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “No B, I just said I’m fine. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Cass. Tim won’t let her leave for some stupid reason.”

“Jason. You’re not Tim’s guests. He’s keeping you prisoner.”

“Yeah, he sure is trying that whole villain shtick. Between you and me, it can use some work.”

Bruce didn’t answer for a little while. He sounded pretty out of it when he did.

“Jason. 4 police officers were just confirmed dead the same way as the mayor was. Tim’s not safe to be around. Please, tell me where you are. We’ll get you out.”

Jason’s brow furrowed. He put a hand over the phone mic.

“You killed four cops? Why’d you do that?”

Tim studied Jay a bit and then shrugged. “Who says it was me? And from what I hear, they weren’t the best cops. “

Jay went back on the phone. “I thought you said you weren’t gonna make me chose.”

“As long as you’re safe. You aren’t safe right now.”

Jason thought back to Tim insisting on Jay wearing a helmet for their bike ride way back. To the shoes Tim gave him so he wouldn’t be cold, and the takeout lying on the cell floor that Tim bought for Jason’s short stay of half an hour. He remembered the front panel of the shop actually opens for Jay because Tim wanted a place they could meet up. He realized nothing was stopping Jason from telling Bruce exactly where they were.

Tim was just sitting there, he knew that if Jay said anything Bruce would come. But he still gave him the phone. Because Jason asked.

Jason covered the phone mic again.

“Aren’t you worried? That I’ll tell him where we are?”

Tim gave him a soft smile. “Truth? A little bit. But if Bruce coming here will make you feel better I won’t stop you. I owe you for the sudden jail time.”

“Yeah, and I owe Bruce for runnin' out. But I don’t-“

“It’s ok Jay. Just do what feels right. I promise, whatever it is, I won’t be mad.”

Jason bit his lip and thought hard. He didn’t want Tim to get arrested, but the longer Bruce looked for them the worse things got between all of them.

“Jason? Are you alright?” B’s worried voice came through again.

“Yeah B, I’m fine. I-“

Jason looked to Tim. He was still there. Even if Jason had been a brat, he was still there.

And Jason still wanted him to be, even if he was a jerk sometimes.

Maybe he’d stay after this too.

“I won’t tell you where we are B. But.

Check the mail. Big yellow envelopes, you can’t miss them.”

“What? Whose mail?”

“Dunno. That’s all I got. See ya later B.”

And with that Jason clicked the end call button. And he felt a shiver run over his arms. He looked up.

And Tim was still there.

He had a bitter half smile on. “Saw that huh? “

He chuckled. Jason didn't answer. He was too busy holding his breath. If Tim got angry Jason deserved whatever hell he gave him.

But Tim just sighed heavily and toppled over onto the couch, shmushing Jay along. Jason yelped and started cursing him out again, to which Tim ruffled his already messy hair.

“You would have made a great Robin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I wrote this chapter from Tim's perspective half of it would be Tim calling Jason a small (adorable) ball of anger in his head and slightly panicking that he already fucked this big brother thing up. Turns out balancing a criminal career with big brother duties is hard.  
> \------------------------------  
> Crawling our way to the end slowly readers!  
> If y'all want to place bets on how this is going to end I recommend doing it in the comments. Will our misfits end up happy, or will I pull a Tim and break up our poor boys? Who knows! (I do, hehe)  
> \------------------------------  
> I've rewritten this so much it's probably very choppy. My bad. This chapter was hard for some reason.  
> \------------------------------  
> Till next time-


End file.
